Return of the Demons
by Teefa and Co
Summary: 1,000 yrs. after WA3, it is a sequal to my other stories. A new band of Demons plans to take Filgaia, now the hope of the future lies in a gunwoman searching for her true origins, a ladies man who is deadly with a sword, a Baskar Priest with no confidenc
1. A Lone Gunwoman

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A Lone Gunwoman

"Kyoku," the blue haired, red-eyed girl whispered, "Jump over that chasm. I see a treasure chest on the other side." She had on a black T-shirt, a navy jean skirt, a pair of metal gauntlets, and tan boots. The fifteen-year old girl was a little bit miffed at the moment. On her way to the town of Sarian, a large earthquake had opened a chasm beneath her feet, and swallowing her and her pet Wind Mouse inside. All the duo wanted was to find a way out, and get a few treasures along the way.

"Kay Sierra," Kyoku replied. She was a white Wind Mouse with black fur on her belly, the top of her head, and the end of her tail. They creature ran across the chasm, picked the lock on the chest, and brought its contents, a Duplicator, over to her friend. Sierra looked at Kyoku, and smiled.

The two were each other's only friend. Sierra's father, Domanick Kenju, had abandoned his daughter when she was small, in the saloon in a town called Vensnia. The saloon's mistress had raised the girl, but now forced the child to work in her establishment as a waiter and maid. Sierra wished that her dad had left her something useful when he'd abandoned her. Instead, he had given her Kyoku, a diary with the key missing, and a small Handgun ARM. It was almost as if he wanted her to become a Silver Wolf like him, and journey to the four corners of the world. If only to spite him, Sierra had done nothing of the sort. She never tried to force the diary open, to see why he had left her, nor had she tried to use the ARM. The only tool she used was Kyoku, who helped more as a friend than a slave. There was even times when she refused, in order to get a rise out of Sierra.

Suddenly, a monster appeared. It appeared to be a large red dragon, but without the wings. Sierra knew it must have been guarding the Duplicator, and wanted the key back. She drew her sword, and ran at the enemy. The dragon dodged the attack easily, and tried to strike back. Sierra took minor damage, it appeared to be much more agile than it was strong. As several more turns passed, the theory was proving to be true, what with her inability to harm the creature, and its inability to kill her.

Kyoku screamed, "Sierra! Use the ARM! I've heard that it is possible to Lock On to a target with something like that, maybe you can hit it then. You're sword is useless either way."

Sierra looked as if her friend had gone mad. "But I don't know how to use an ARM. Only experts can Lock On, experts like my father. There's no way I can fire this stupid thing." To emphasize her point, the woman pulled out the gun, and tried to fire. But things didn't go how she expected.

Out from the ARM came a sight scope, and the Force Skill Lock On was activated. Sierra felt herself getting a good look at where to strike, and then she fired the gun. It hit the beast square in the stomach. The dragon began to convulse, and died shortly afterwards. Sierra was lost for words.

"I did it," she stated, "I don't know how, but I did it. Maybe I am destined to be a Silver Wolf like my father. But first, I must get to town. That old hag will chew me out if I don't get her wine from Sarian, and come back home quickly. She complains too much, if I wasn't in her debt for raising me, by the Guardians, I'd leave right away and head out on my own to find a new home."

* * *

After getting chewed out by the saloon's owner, Sierra went back to her room. There, she found her father's diary, and began to look at it. The lock suddenly began to glow, in reaction to the Duplicator. Then, it opened. Sierra couldn't believe what was written on the pages inside.

"April 14: I was examining the wreck of this caravan, when I found something strange. There was a child, a baby girl sleeping in the wreckage. Nearby, a cage containing a Wind Mouse was left on the ground. I don't know what exactly happened here, but I must rescue these two lives. The girl will be my daughter, and I will call her Sierra. And the Wind Mouse's name is Kyoku."

"April 20: I find I can't leave my life as a Silver Wolf behind, I've done it for so long. Thus, I will leave Sierra and Kyoku at this saloon. She will be given this diary, so she might understand me some day, and an ARM. Maybe, she too will head out to become a Silver Wolf, and we will meet again."

"Can this really be? He wasn't my real father?! Now I'm definitely leaving here. I want to know why he took me in, only to abandon me again. This entry is just too selfish. I want to find him and beat the answers out of him if I have too. Heck, I want to know why I am able to handle the ARM, even though I have no previous training to aid me. Kyoku, we're leaving," said Sierra.

~ ~ ~ ~

In a small tent in the middle of the forest, Sierra was looking outside at the falling rain. She thought, 'It's already been two years since that day, and still I have no leads. Why did my birth mother abandon me in that caravan? For there weren't any women among the dead, so she must have given me to them. And why did the man who took me in, leave me as well?'

Kyoku sighed. "Thinking about the past again, eh Sierra? You know all it does is get me depressed. Why don't you try to cheer up some times, you can be such a dull and boring girl sometimes. Let's play something, we can have fun together. Right, Sierra?"

"Kyoku," she replied, "I just want to be left alone right now. That means, don't bother me, and I won't bother you. So just be quiet, all I want to do is think about the situation." Then, she returned to brooding. Kyoku could be so annoying sometimes, she never shut up. But she was all Sierra had, the only person who had ever cared about her. Even her foster mother only wanted something from her, she never really loved the girl that had been left at her saloon.

'Sierra, if only you hadn't found all that out. Then you would be open with me once again. We're best friends, and I wish you would just let me help you out. I don't ever want to see you get hurt. We have so much in common. You're all I've got Sierra, and I'm all you've got too,' Kyoku mused. But no answers came to the small Wind Mouse. All she could do was watch the rain with Sierra.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…  
  
Kyoku and Sierra kind of remind me of me and my partner, Sky. I was going for a chattery pet, it's a gag. She's going to be much more playful than Hanpan or Pooka were. Another new friend in the next chapter, we're going to go one at a time until all four are introduced. Then we have to introduce them to one another.

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Translations

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Kenju (Sierra's last name)=gun. 

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Kyoku=song, musical composition.


	2. The Wandering Ladies Man

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The Wandering Ladies Man

"Golems," muttered eighteen-year old Lyle Kenjutsushi, "It had to be Golems. Why couldn't the scientist have asked for plans to interesting research, like creating full-grown humans from living metal or the DNA of the planet, like the old legends. At least then I could get a babe out of the deal. Instead, I'll get a Golem, which can't very well make a good girlfriend. Oh well, at least it pays well."

Lyle pushed a strand of black hair out of his brown eyes. He was wearing a light blue button down shirt, and white pants. A pair of yellow cuffs were over the arm part of his tan gloves, and a yellow cumberbun was around his waist like a belt. Leather boots were on his feet, and he held a large sword in his right hand. Lyle was a Silver Wolf who went around the world with the aid of the powerful Fast Draw technique. His father had excavated the ruins of an ancient castle long ago, which spoke of a way to transmit a person's soul into their sword. Through the use of ordinary things like explosions, it would be possible for that person to invent new techniques. Lyle's father died not to long after, and the boy then decided to train in the arts, hoping to become powerful enough to take his dad's place when he grew up. For Lyle's mom was sickly, and could only do the most basic of jobs to support herself and her family.

A Balloon came at the youth. It appeared to be a large red bubble with a wicked face on it. Lyle scoffed at the creature, he knew how weak Balloons were. The young swordsman ran at it, and activated his Psycho Crack skill. The creature was killed instantly, being as weak as it was.

"Too bad there weren't any chicks around to see that. I really would like to show them the power that I possess. Then maybe I'll get a hot date for tonight. My luck is just too bad," muttered Lyle. He continued onwards, ready for whatever might get in his way. Soon, he came to a room with no way out. It looked as if he was unable to go through, as the only other exit was covered in rubble.

But quick thinking saved his hide. Lyle pulled a Bomb out of his backpack, and set it by the door. Soon, it exploded, and the rubble was no longer blocking the path. Lyle told himself, "That was pretty amazing, even more than my conquest of that weak monster. And still no chicks. Maybe I should pick a female Silver Wolf up in town, at least there'd be someone to talk to then. And her being a girl would be an added benefit, I'd always have a date no matter what happened to me in battle."

He continued, until he found the computer room. There, Lyle did his best to hack into the console with his limited knowledge of machines. But he was successful. Soon, the data on Golem creation was on the screen, and the printer was copying the info onto paper. Lyle pulled it out once it was done, and began to read. Now, all that remained was bringing it back to the professor, and collecting his money.

But on the way back, a large bird-like monster came up to him. Its feathers were colorful, blues and reds and purples that would look even more impressive in the light, and its eyes shone with wicked determination. This creature sure didn't mean Lyle good on his journey, it wanted to kill him.

Lyle scoffed. "You picked the wrong man to mess with. I am Lyle, Kenjutsushi, the most powerful swordsman in this land. There is no way that I will lose. You will die by my hands, Pyscho Crack." The attack did more than just hurt the monster, it also became confused as well. Now, the creature had no idea what it was doing, and began to fly around in circles, not paying any bit of attention to Lyle and how the young swordsman was holding his sword out, ready for the kill.

Lyle began to concentrate again, and brought up his sword. Suddenly, he struck out with the Meteor Drive skill, wounding the monster greatly. It was still confused, and pecking at its own tail, so it didn't notice the attack. Nor was it able to survive the blasts that followed the impact.

  
"See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya," Lyle taunted, "Now to get these back to the professor. Jeeze, I can't wait to chew him out for not telling me exactly what kind of artificial life form that I was looking for the plans for." He again began muttering about how he'd like to be able to create a Bio-Android of some sort, female of course, to be his traveling companion on his journey as a Silver Wolf.

* * *

"Well how was I supposed to know? I just heard about an old laboratory, and how some sort of artificial life form had been created there years and years ago. Unlike you, though, I'm excited about what we found for scientific purposes. I certainly don't care if I can create a Bio-Android or not, just that I got some sort of artificial life form to try and create. You still want a Golem, kid?" asked Dr. Lucient Moro. He was an aging scientist, of sixty-three years. The man had dark glasses covering his eyes, so you couldn't see what color they were, white hair, and a long white beard that framed his face.

Lyle thought, 'What WE found. More like what I found, and what I risked my butt for. This guy better be appreciative of my efforts. I certainly didn't do this for charity, I wanted a hot girl out of the deal, not a Golem. Well, at least I can get my money. And maybe a Golem could prove useful.'

Dr. Moro waved his hand over Lyle's eye. "Sonny, can you here me? I asked if you still want me to make you a Golem, since you were going for a Bio-Android. They can be helpful in combat, as well as methods of transportation. How should I make your Golem look, Lyle?"

  
"I drew a basic picture," Lyle told him, "Keep in mind, it's for a Bio-Android, not a Golem. I know that Golems often look more mechanical, so just base it of this drawing. I'll take my money now, and let you be to create the Golem." Dr. Moro handed him a bag, and Lyle then left the lab.

The doctor took one look at the drawing. His face began to twist and contort, and he started to laugh. Lyle certainly was one of the more delusional men he had met in his life. He had no girlfriend, and he wanted a man like himself to make him one. But this, this was just too weird.

"By the Guardians, I hired out a pervert," Moro stated, dropping the picture, not wanting to look at it any more. His wife would hit him over the head with a pan if she ever caught him. On it, he saw a blond girl with light purple eyes, who was not wearing any clothing.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…

Don't bother with the picture,Lyle's just a perv. Besides, we're all mature, responsible adults here, and can handle this without giggling.

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Translations

Kenjutsushi=swordsman


	3. An Underconfident Priest

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An Underconfident Priest

"Marco, it's time to get up," Jacob Shisai told his twin brother, "You are to become High Priest of Baskar today, and we must journey to the Fallen Sanctuary in order to ask the blessing of the Elemental Guardians." The green-eyed boy with the brown ponytail continued to shake the other boy, who looked exactly like he would if he wore his hair short, until he had awakened.

"Thank you, brother, for making sure I got up. I was up all last night thinking, so I didn't get as much sleep as one might think. We'd best get dressed right away, if we want all of the formalities to end sometime before dinner tonight," Marco joked, and then both youths laughed.

Jacob put on a light brown sleeveless shirt, green shorts tied with a rope-like belt, a tan shawl, a pair of leather boots, and a pair of leather gauntlets. Marco, meanwhile, dressed in a red long sleeved shirt, brown shorts with a tan shawl being used like a belt, another tan shawl around his shoulders, a pair of leather boots, a pair of leather gauntlets, and a headband with three feathers on the back. Both boys grabbed a cane, and headed out of Baskar Colony, on their way to the Fallen Sanctuary.

Both boys were only nineteen, Marco older than Jacob by about three minutes. Shortly after Jacob had been born, his mother had passed away, too weak from childbirth. As the younger sibling, his father often blamed him for what had happened to his mother. So from a young age, Jacob had been belittled, while Marco was always praised. Their mother's mother, the former High Priestess, had shown pity to him, but was unsuccessful in pacifying their father. Sadly, both Granny and their father had died only about a week ago, when they fought off an invasion of monsters from town. That put Marco, as the older brother, as High Priest by default. Not good when the candidate hadn't finished his studies. Marco did trust Jacob enough to help him out if needed be, but Jacob didn't know why. Certainly, a failure such as he, who had killed his own mother, could be of little or no use to a Baskar Priest.

Jacob and Marco soon arrived at the Fallen Sanctuary. But the entrance was blocked by a few stacks of stone cubes, left on the floor. It was apparently a test left to see if the future priest was able to cope with situations such as this. Luckily, they were ready. Both pulled out a Feather, and used it to push a block out of the way. With the twins working together, soon all the blocks were gone.

Marco stated, "We must go upstairs, that is where the High Guardians dwell. Remember, if we seem unworthy, they will attack us. But as long as one of us has the spirit required to wield them, then they will transform into Mediums for us to use." He began to walk up the staircase, Jacob following close behind. At the top, they came across the shrine for the Elemental and High Guardians.

They were facing east as they arrived at the top of the stairs. Each of the cardinal and secondary directions ended in a staircase. The ones in the cardinal directions would lead to the pillars that served as shrines to leave offerings to the Elemental Guardians. On the other hand, the secondary directions would lead to the pillars that served as shrines to leave offerings to the High Guardians.

Marco and Jacob stepped forward, and stood on opposite ends of the room, northwest for Marco, southeast for Jacob. Then, the two youths began to pray, as they were told to do when asking for the Guardians' aid. "Oh, great Guardians of the Elements. Hear our prayers, as we forge a new future for all of Filgaia. Schturdark of Water in the North, Moor Gault of Fire in the South, Grudiev of Earth in the East, and Fengalon of Wind in the West. Open up to us, and grant the power you possess to the new High Priest of the Baskar, as the agreement between our tribe and the Guardians states."

The energy began to flow from the four pillars, and solidify into the Mediums of the Elemental Guardians. But suddenly, a dark presence could be felt in the air. All around them, stood Shadow Demons, a creature that could only be damaged with magic. They had apparently come to seek the power of the Guardians, and would kill the boys if needed be to acquire it.

"Jacob!" called Marco urgency filling his voice, "Equip Fengalon and Schturdark. I'll Invoke Moor Gault and Grudiev. We're going to have to work together if we want to get out of this alive!"

Both boys Invoked the Mediums Marco had suggested. Now, Jacob could cast the Water Gun, Submerge, Sonic Claw, and Tempest Lores. Marco could attack with Red Beaut, Napalm Hit, Rock Bolt, and Gravitron. If, while having those Guardians equipped, the boys killed a certain amount of enemies, they would be able to permanently learn those skills, even without a Guardian on.

Jacob used Submerge, while his brother struck out with Napalm Shot. The Shadow Demons, while impervious to physical attacks, were extremely weak, and died with one shot. Only the sheer number of them was keeping the battle going on. After ten minutes, none were left.

"Foolish humans. You may have defeated my minions, but I will win nevertheless. How about if I separate the two of you, and your Guardians," a wicked voice spoke from out of nowhere.

A large wind began to kick up, pulling Jacob into it. Suddenly, the Mediums of Moor Gault and Grudiev flew out of Marco's hands, also drawn into the whirlwind. Jacob had barely enough time to scream, before the sheer force of the wind knocked him out cold.

* * *

Jacob awoke to a voice calling his name. But no one was there with him. Heck, he didn't even know where "there" was. It certainly wasn't anywhere close to Baskar. What was more, all four Mediums were lying on his chest. Although good for him, it made him worry. If all the Mediums had landed where he had fallen, then how would Marco fare out there on his own?

  
Jacob said, "I've got to get back home. Marco needs these in order to show his worthiness to become High Priest. Now, if only I could find my way, I am so lost. And how can I take on the world on my own, when I've never even been out of Baskar before today?"

  
He had no idea that darker dangers were lurking out there in the shadows of Filgaia. But Jacob would have to now rely on himself in order to fight against the evils. And that in meeting others, he will not only be able to solve the mysteries, but find his own power deep inside of him.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…  
  
Well, when I mean shawl, I'm talking about something like what Tim wore over his shirt in WA2. He even looks sort of like a brown-haired Tim. And, if you can't tell, he's kind of like Lilka, with not believing in himself. I combined the system of using a Medium to gain the usage of Arcana in WA3, with the technique for learning Lores in WA2, in order to create the new system of magic for Baskar.

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Translations

Shisai=priest


	4. The Sorceress Princess

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The Sorceress Princess

Princess Sasha Vanderbuilt of Neo-Adlehyde knew she had little time left. If she could not find the cure to her curse, then the brigand would be able to silence her with only one shot. Meaning, she and her father would have to give into his demands in order to spare her life. Demands that included the hand in marriage of the heiress to the kingdom of Neo-Adlehyde, and wielder of the mythical Teardrop.

Not that the twenty-year-old maiden wanted to do that. She'd rather die than marry a brigand. But she had little choice, as the only child of the king she was the last in line. If she died, then a civil war might break out over who inherits the throne. Her long blond hair that she'd tied a red ribbon to the end of swayed in the wind as she rode on her horse. Sasha's light blue eyes scanned the team of guards her father had assigned to her before she set out to see what the world was like, which would prove useful when she was queen. Dressing in a simple tan dress with red boarders on the sleeves and bottom, with a ruby encrusted belt, red boots, and golden hoop earrings, Sasha looked more like a wealthy merchant than a princess. Which had not fooled the brigand at all, as she still wore power like a cloak.

"The cave is ahead," Victor said, "We must proceed with caution. Sasha, you will follow me in, and I want Mason at the rear of the column. Cedrick, out in front. And remember, when we find the herb, then Sasha gets to eat it first. Once she tastes a bite of it, she will be cured, and immune to the curse in the future. If only one of us lives, then it must be the princess." Mason and Cedrick nodded, and then the team fell in. With Cedrick in the lead, they descended into the depths of the cave.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, they came to a treasure chamber. Although the men were tempted to fill their pockets with gold, and bring the rest back for their king, their training told them to wait. Protecting the life of their princess was the most important thing, nothing else mattered. So they continued on, vowing to come back for the gold after finding the herb.

Soon, the team arrived at their destination. Light filtered in from a hole in the roof of the cave. A lone herb was growing, From the looks of it, the plant seemed to be a potato, with blue skin, and green leaves coming out of the top. It looked just like the ones seen in the book they had used to locate the cure for the curse. Sighs of relief left the mouths of everyone there.

"Now then, Sasha, take a bite of the herb. Then the three of us will partake of it. Once that is over, we can deal with the brigand. How dare that knave try and take the princess's heart by force. He will pay for his transgression, and pay dearly," Victor stated, enjoying his monologue.

Sasha took one bite of the herb, and a revolting look came over her face. She thought, 'This is worse than raw garbage, it is almost as if I ate Dragon Steak. I remember the time my dad had me do that, I spit it out. If this wasn't a cure for my curse, I'd do it now, too. I guess it must be an acquired taste, as everyone is always saying about Dragon Steak. But I don't see how anyone could eat this slop.'

She handed it to Mason, so he could eat some too. But suddenly, all three guards began to gag. Then, they dropped down to the floor, dead. When Sasha looked up, she saw the wicked brigand had caught up to them at last. His coal black hair was hidden by a red bandana, and his pants and shirt were midnight black. The brigand's boots were made of leather, as was his belt. Deep blue eyes locked on her aqua orbs, and his mouth had a triumphant smile that brightened as he stepped forward. "I killed all of your guards, but spared you from the attack. If you agree to be my wife, I will let you live. Refuse, and end up like the three on the ground. So, what's it gonna be Princess Sasha?"

"I'll never marry you!" Sasha screamed, "You're a cold blooded killer, and you'll never get your hands on my kingdom! I know you'll just kill Father, so you can become the king!" She yelled this whole response, all while looking at the battered forms of her three guards, just lying on the floor. Sasha would not allow their deaths to go unpunished, she would avenge them if it cost her the life she cherished.

"Foolish woman. You know I can kill you in one blow with the curse, just like I did to your guards. Now, you will die for your insolence, Maitrai Sevia," he called out. But noting happened. The brigand was wondering why she hadn't died on the spot. Then, he saw the herb lying there on the floor, with one bite taken out of it. Instantly, he knew what had happened. And now, he was afraid. For a sorceress like Sasha is not the kind of person you take head on in combat if you want to live to see old age.

Sasha laughed, and said, "You will be the one to die, my friend. My magic will take you out, and avenge the deaths of my friends. Aqua!" A ball of water began to surround the thief, and he rose off the ground. The pressure was just too great for a human being to bear, and there was no oxygen inside of his watery prison. Soon, the brigand let out a cough, and died. Then, he fell to the ground once more, landing at the feet of the heiress of Neo-Adlehyde. A sigh of relief escaped Sasha's mouth.

* * *

The princess left the cave, and began to wonder what to do next. 'Daddy didn't want me to go off on my own, that's why he gave me the guards to protect me while I saw the world. I've got to hire a Silver Wolf to take me back home to Neo-Adlehyde. But how can I find someone who won't just want me for my money, or my identity? That's it, I just won't tell anyone I'm a princess. After all, my ancestors couldn't even tell about their powers if they wanted to live, and I have liberty to talk about that aspect of myself. So I won't be a burden to the person who guards me. Now, I'd better get to town immediately.'

Sasha headed towards a town she could see in the distance. A smile was on her face, as she thought about the adventures she would have along the way home. Once there, her dad could give her another group of soldiers, and she could see the world again. For she knew that it would be impossible to keep her secret forever, rumors might tell her guardian who she really is. Then, Sasha would have no idea if that person would treat her honorably, or try to use her like the brigand.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…

Just like Virginia, she isn't one you mess with. However, being Jet's descendant as well, she doesn't need a bodyguard to do it for her. But, like most princess characters, she doesn't know if people will think of her as herself, and not as princess of Neo-Adlehyde. That's her only problem, if not confronted with that, she'll be a strong willed woman. Heck, she'd rather die in combat than give into the brigand. I like strong-willed women warriors. We've got Sierra for the strength aspect, and Sasha for the will aspect. That'll give us some nice situations. Well, the characters begin to meet in the next chapter. I think, we'll have two at the most involving that, and by the third chapter all will be together.

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Translations

Vanderbuilt= an extremely ritzy family from old New York, thought it would work well for a royal character


	5. Sierra & Lyle

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Sierra & Lyle

Sierra walked into a saloon in the town of Greenridge, and sat down at a table. She began to hear the stories almost immediately. They spoke of a group of archeologists who wanted to excavate a ruin nearby. Rumor had it that this ruin was of the ancient Shaman Kingdom, Adlehyde. Problem was, there were monsters inside. These archeologists wanted groups of two or more Silver Wolves to go inside, and search out the secrets of the lost civilization, and their magical treasures.

Like most people, Sierra had heard the stories. Two millennia ago, the Shamans were accused of summoning the demon that tried to attack Filgaia. Once the demon was dealt with, the warriors and heroes of Filgaia decided to kill off the Shamans. Nobody knew how many survived, but most were killed in the attack. When disasters began happening, even the people who believed them to be innocent were starting to doubt. But no proof had ever been found of whether it was true or just created out of fear.

"I want to go to this ruin," Sierra stated, "Probably, I can earn some great treasures in this little jaunt. Problem is, I need a partner in order to continue onwards, and I don't know where to find one."

  
"Hey! What about me? Don't I count for anything? After all, I'm just a Wind Mouse, I can't help in any way. Besides get treasures and switches that are out of reach. I guess I'm not good enough to hang around the Great Sierra anymore," complained a very hurt Kyoku.

Sierra replied, "It isn't like that. They probably want a second fighter to help me out. And you're just too small to hold a weapon and strike down a monster. If I come in, and say that my partner is a Wind Mouse, I'll be laughed at. But I still need you Kyoku, you're my best friend."

Kyoku looked her friend in the eye, and noticed her sincerity. "Alright, I forgive you Sierra. We've got to find you a human warrior to help, then. I guess you're right about that, there's no way I can fight. I've always been the one who hits switches and chests, while you've taken care of the enemies."

  
"You're looking for a partner?" a voice inquired of Sierra, "Then allow me to offer my assistance to your cause." Sierra turned in the direction the voice had come from, and saw a young man was standing there, with shiny jet black hair and brown eyes that radiated excitement.

* * *

When Lyle had walked into the Greenridge saloon, he began to listen to the rumors, as was his usual way of working and finding jobs. The stories about Aldehyde were the most intriguing. A whole kingdom that existed long ago, where everyone knew magic and a demon had been summoned. And the inspiration for the naming of the Kingdom of Sorcery, Neo-Adlehyde, where the people who had revived the tradition of calling on the powers of the elements in order to cast magic. There had to be a treasure in a place like that, one that could buy him a bride, and get his mother the operation she needed in order to fully recover from her illness. Lyle just needed to find a partner to help him out.

"My partner must be a woman, one that is cute preferably. And she's gotta be strong, no weak little stringbean. Hopefully, female Silver Wolves come to this tavern, all I seem to see is the usual riff raff and tavern scum," Lyle said to himself, causing all to look at him strangely.

He scanned the people in the tavern. The few women who were there had already found a male companion to travel with, or were the usual married couples out for a night on the town. But after some time, his eyes fell on a girl at a table with unusual blue hair. Not that it fazed Lyle, he'd seen people with blue hair before. Neo-Adlehyde had a few, for one. And she was pretty cute, in his opinion. As he began to walk closer, he saw the white and black Wind Mouse sitting on the table near her.

He asked, "You're looking for a partner? Then allow me to offer my assistance to your cause." Lyle could see the girl looking up at him, trying to size up the person who had approached her.

* * *

The two had sat down together, and got to talking. Sierra looked at Lyle, and smiled. "Sure, you can come along with me. But only until we are able to finish up with the search through Adlehyde's ruins. I prefer working alone, with only Kyoku as my partner, but I need a human partner for this job. So, let's just get going and get this over with, do I make myself clear, young man?"

"Clear as crystal, gorgeous," Lyle replied, "My name is Lyle Kenjutsushi, a swordsman who would be more than willing to help a cute girl. What do they call you, miss?"

"My name is Sierra Kenju. But don't you get sweet with me. I really don't care about men or getting a date. All I need is to find treasures and get rich. Kyoku is all I need, I wouldn't even have agreed to your terms if I could have gone at this alone. But since I need a partner, like I said before, I chose the first person to approach men. No need for me to find the right person, since all I plan to do is leave you when we get the treasure and divide it amongst us," Sierra said.

Lyle thought, 'This girl is quite cold. I wonder what happened to her to cause this. Maybe there is something I can do to help. Maybe I can't resist a pretty girl, but I am chivalrous when it comes to them. And you can never let a girl be hurt, in body or in mind. This one needs me, I won't leave her until I am able to get her to open up to me and tell me what is wrong with her.'

The two then began to go over the map. Once that was over, they gathered their stuff, and began to leave the saloon. The ruins were located to the north, so that's where they went. Sierra looked at Lyle, noticing that the man was looking at her with a protective eye. 'I really don't need a protector, but he seems to want to do it anyway. What am I to do about this guy? Oh well, I can always lose him in the night, if he just won't leave me alone. Then, things can finally get back to normal for me and Kyoku.'

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…

We mirror this chapter with the other two next time, and then we get into the actual mission.


	6. Jacob & Sasha

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Jacob & Sasha

Jacob's coming to Greenridge was purely an act of desperation. There, he hoped to get some information regarding which direction was Baskar Colony. Heck, he could even hire a Silver Wolf or two if it was necessary. Certainly, the brother of a High Priest would prove interesting for them, any tavern thug would instantly think of a fortune. And he would get whatever he asked for his assistance, Marco was the type who would pay anything in order to save the only family he had left. Even if it was his worthless twin brother, who couldn't do anything right, even manage to get lost along with the Mediums of the four Elemental Guardians that he needed for his sacred ceremony to become the High Priest.

By the time he had arrived, he had learned all of the spells from the four Mediums, Invoking all three he could handle and finishing them, then equipping the final one when he was done. Now, he had the Mediums of Moor Gault, Grudiev, and Schturdark equipped. He must have looked like a powerful warrior, because people were all asking him to help them with an investigation.

"Adlehyde?!" he exclaimed, "They found Adlehyde's ruins?! I can't believe it. But I have no time to help you out. I've got to return to Baskar Colony. If one of you would be willing to help me back to my home, I will certainly return the favor by helping you head through the ruins."

  
Excuses began to fly, such as previous commitments and a slight sickness to the seas that separated Baskar from this continent. All of those who had asked for Jacob's help were backing off. It looked as if Jacob wouldn't be able to find the help he required in order to get home once more.

"You're looking for help getting home? And in return you'll help me get into the ruins? Sure, I'll take you up on your offer. I can guide you as far as Neo-Adlehyde, where you can catch a ship to Baskar without any problems at all," a female voice said from behind him. Jacob turned around, and saw a girl of about twenty, with blond hair and pale blue eyes. With the look of a sorceress, he could see why she would be interested in Adlehyde, and why she was going to the reborn version of the kingdom.

* * *

When Sasha heard about Adlehyde, she began to smile. The sacred home of her ancestors had been found at long last. She had longed to find the secrets of her ancestors, as did most Shamans. It was enough to add a detour on her journey back home. Sasha gripped the Teardrop, wondering how she would ever be able to get in. After all, the people who were in charge of the operation wanted to have two or more in the party. And Sasha's guards were all dead, so she really needed someone now.

Sasha thought, 'I'd better go into the saloon, maybe I can find the bodyguard I need while on this little trip. Heck, I need to hire someone in order to get inside, so I might as well take him with me back to my homeland. Then, all I have to do is tell him I no longer need assistance, and pay him.'

She walked into the saloon, and was disgusted. Sasha could see the usual brutes and thugs, people who would see the money and power that followed her even without her telling them. It seemed harder than she'd originally thought to find a partner. If necessary, she'll head to the next town, and find a Silver Wolf there. Treasures always brought forth the worst kind of mercenaries to a town.

As she scanned the room, she saw what appeared to be a Baskar. He had brown hair worn in a ponytail, and green eyes. Knowing that the Baskar were known for their innocence, and their hatred of anything involving greed. They were the perfect type of people to transport a princess. And the Baskar were magicians as well, meaning she could discuss, debate, and compare magic theory with him.

She walked up to him, and heard of his plight. Sasha saw all the men leave the youth, and then she spoke up. "You're looking for help getting home? And in return you'll help me get into the ruins? Sure, I'll take you up on your offer. I can guide you as far as Neo-Adlehyde, where you can catch a ship to Baskar without any problems at all." The boy looked up, and smiled at her.

* * *

"Thank you for your help," Jacob said, "I know we can find a way inside together. I just hope I can live up to your expectations. If it was my twin brother who was here, I know you would be successful. But I'm not half as strong as he is, so there might be a few problems along the way."

  
"Don't you think of yourself like that! Everyone has individual strengths, weaknesses, and worth. You and I are not going to fail on this mission. Remember, you are in the presence of a young, beautiful, and powerful sorceress, and I can tell when a person is strong. So stop speaking like that, and just help me to get through this ruin alive," ordered Sasha, her blood boiling.

Jacob eyed her up. There was a fury that seemed to rise now that he had said those things about him. Usually, people didn't get this mad unless the insults were directed at them. So why was this girl trying to tell him that he was worthy, when his father knew better?

Sasha apologized, "I'm sorry I got so mad, I just hate to hear such words spoken about oneself. I can't believe you don't even know your own worth. My name is Sasha Inverse, a Crest Sorceress from the kingdom of Neo-Adlehyde. What are you called, boy from Baskar?" The false name was the one she used in order to throw those that wanted to attack her off track, they would stop going after her if she could trick them into thinking that she was not a woman of noble birth.

Jacob blushed. "My name, is Jacob Shisai, brother to the new High Priest of Baskar. I only hope I can live up to the expectations that you have set for me on this mission."

They left the saloon together, heading for Adlehyde. Jacob gave Schturdark and Moor Gault to the princess, so she would be protected as well as he. Sasha couldn't help but feel weird around Jacob, it was something she couldn't name. Could she be in love? Certainly not, she barely knew the young man, and he'd come off as a whiner to her. She then chalked it up to pre-battle jitters.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…

I formatted the opening with four chapters when the four were separated, two chapters as they began to form groups, and one chapter when all four come together. One chapter per group. We get to Adlehyde in the next chapter, right before the team finally gets to meet each other. Yeah, Sasha's assumed name is from Slayers. Well, I was watching my "Slayers: NEXT Volume 1" today. That is one of the funniest shows out there. You know, Amelia and Zel remind me of Virginia and Jet.

****


	7. Crossroads

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Crossroads

Lyle and Sierra arrived at the ruins not too much later. A forest had grown up around it, making the journey a little bit treacherous, as forest demons were often stronger than those in the fields. But they were able to arrive safely, and prepared to go in. There was just one problem, though. The foreman of the operation wasn't anywhere in site. It was almost as if he had been scared away by the monsters or something. Not that something like that mattered, all they needed to do was get inside.

"The door is locked," Kyoku noticed, "But I see a pair of switches on the ground. Maybe, you have to step on them at the same time. That must be why any Silver Wolf who wished to come here had to bring a partner. Meaning, I could have been your partner all along."

  
Sierra didn't chide Kyoku, or tell her not to rub it in. She and Lyle stepped on the switches, and the door opened. Then, the two humans and one Wind Mouse entered the ruins. Suddenly, they heard a noise behind them. Apparently, the switches were only good for a finite amount of time, as the gates to the city were closing once more, trapping the trio inside for who knows how long.

"Well, I guess we're stuck. We can find our way out later, though. I suggest we continue to search out the treasures, and then come back. Maybe after a little treasure has been cleaned out, we will have a clearer head about the situation," suggested Sierra. They then began to head deeper into the ruins, looking for whatever had survived the destruction of this once powerful city.

* * *

Sasha exclaimed, "Two switches! Jacob, we've got to step on them at the same time. When the remnants of Adlehyde were sealed by Prince Rudolph, he added this little device to keep thieves out. If the secret was only known to him and his kin, then they could come back to claim their secrets once the commotion had died down, and the Shaman's innocence had been proven."

  
Jacob smiled at her. "Yeah, I can't believe that a Guardian worshipping kingdom like Adlehyde was blamed for that demon. People all just panicked and the only people who believed that they weren't doing such a thing were the people of Baskar. I wish others could hear the truth as well, someday. It's a good thing that they think the people of Neo-Adlehyde are just a team of sorcerer's who used the name of the ancient kingdom to proclaim the powers they had, since the original kingdom was always known for Crest Sorcery. I laugh, people still don't know that Shamans are innocent, even though they've found out that Crest Sorcery isn't the magic of demons, but of the elements themselves."

They stepped on the switch, and went inside. Like with Lyle and Sierra, the doors closed behind them. Jacob began to panic, he was worried that he'd be trapped in this dungeon for all eternity. Sasha just watched him, and scoffed at the overreacting worries the boy was showing.

"There's a way out," she told him, "All you've got to do is step on the switches on the inside. That'll open the door to the outside world. Prince Rudolph wanted thieves to panic, and not be able to think strait. I guess his plan worked, but not in the way he would have hoped. Let's keep on going, there might be a document somewhere around here that will proclaim my people's innocence."

They continued onwards, fighting monsters all the way. Suddenly, a noise was heard from up ahead. Jacob panicked, and jumped into Sasha's arms. The sorceress/princess threw him to the ground with a look of disdain in her eyes. Where in the name of Justine did this boy get it from? The priests of Baskar were supposed to be brave and true, not scared cats like Jacob.

"Jacob, can you check up ahead? I mean, it's not nice to make a lady look into whatever might be coming around the corridor. And you're a gentleman, so it should be you who goes, Don't worry, I'll be right behind you," she stated. To further prove her point, Sasha shoved Jacob further on in, towards the direction the sound came from, and then began to follow him.

* * *

Lyle knew he was hearing a voice. One look at his allies told him that they had heard it too. Sierra was loading her ARM with new bullets, and Kyoku had a vicious look on her face. They were ready to fight whatever was waiting for them. He said, "I will be the one to go ahead and check it out. If I do not come back, then I want you to run, Sierra. There is nothing less chivalrous than sending a maiden to her death by a horrible monster. But, Sierra, remember me when I am gone." Then, he began to walk back the way they had come, searching for the beast that was roaming the corridors.

Sierra sweatdropped. 'What a wacko, I don't need a protector. I'd better check to see if he is ok. No telling what this monster might do. There's nothing to worry about, I'll always have my ARM to protect me from demons, I'm not gonna die right here.' She then began to follow Lyle down the corridor, towards the direction that they'd heard the monster's voice.

"Sierra," whispered Lyle, "You shouldn't follow me. What if it's dangerous out there, and I fail to be able to protect you? I could never forgive myself if you got hurt."

"Chill, I'm not gonna kick the bucket. You haven't seen exactly what I can do with this ARM of mine, it's not a pretty sight if you are a monster," Sierra replied.

Suddenly, Lyle bumped into something. The creature was humanoid, and about his size. At that moment, the swordsman let out a scream. So did the monster. Then, a female sounding scream came from behind the thing Lyle had bumped into. Followed by Kyoku. Soon, four screams were lighting up the ruins, the only person not in a state of panic being Sierra.

She thought, 'These screams are just too human to be demon. Ten to one they're adventurers like us. And Lyle claims he's a real warrior, he sounds like no more than a baby here. But it's kind of fun to hear him scream, he sounds just like a little girl when he does that.' She giggled, causing three human heads and one Wind Mouse head to look at her as if she was crazy.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…

And the gang finally meets. In a humorous way too. We've got big surprises in store for the next chapter. Coming up, the treasure room, and Sasha finds something of great value to her people. And, rivals who are here to annoy the heck out of our heroes.


	8. Sierra's Rival

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Sierra's Rival

"You know," Kyoku said, "That really wasn't funny Sierra. Lyle and Jacob surprised each other when they bumped into one another. They'd both thought it was a monster, causing Sasha to go crazy at her friend's fear, and me to begin to worry for my life as well. Can't you ever be sensitive?"

They had all introduced themselves, and were sorting out their individual goals and stories. Sasha, of course, told them some bogus story that was practically true about being a traveling sorceress going back home to see her family. Jacob and Lyle spoke of the reasons they were away from their homes as well. But Sierra was unwilling to tell about her abandonment, and the fact that she'd never trained to use an ARM before she'd used one to kill the monster in the cave. Instead, she had told the group she left home looking for adventure, and had no reason to go back there.

  
"Sorry guys, you were all just so funny in a panic like that. Really, it just took some logical and rational thinking to realize that the shadows in front of us were just more adventurers. I can't be the only one who knows how to reason things out in tight situations," Sierra replied.

Sasha, who was embarrassed at being caught doing something so undignified as screaming like a little baby, stated, "Now that we've sorted things out, let's go search for treasure together. I think I can lead you all to the treasure room, we of Neo-Adlehyde always studied the layout of the ancient Kingdom of Shamans, hoping to excavate its magic and treasures someday to further our own prosperity." Silently, she added the fact that she wanted to reconnect to those ancestors who had died in such a brutal way, but kept it to herself. No longer was she among only her own people or Baskars, there were now people who would try to kill her if they found out about her connection to the original Adlehyde.

Jacob nodded. "Let's all go together. It'll be much safer if we all go together, instead of in two little groups. No monster will be able to stand a chance. Besides, I might want to hire the two of you to accompany me back to Baskar Colony. Sasha has to go home, so she can't take me all the way. I'll even pay you when it's all over, and I'm safely back at my home with my brother."

  
"If there's money," Sierra answered, "You can bet that Sierra Kenju will be there. Just make sure the money is paid in full when we arrive back at Baskar, else I might get mad." Kyoku began to giggle, Sierra never did get as mad as all that, causing the Silver Wolf Gunner to glare at her. The Wind Mouse then jumped back into her friend's pack, not wanting to fight with her now.

They all agreed to help Sasha back to Neo-Adlehyde, and Jacob back to Baskar. Then, the group began to head onwards, Sasha in the lead. Soon, they arrived at the treasure room. Although there was a guardian beast left in front, the Teardrop told him that the intruders were welcome. Not that the other three knew it, only Sasha had any idea that the statue had been put there by Rudolph Adlehyde in order to kill any thieves that might make it to the entrance of the treasury.

Once inside, they began to help themselves to the gold an jewels. Well, Sierra and Lyle were doing that, Jacob was standing uncomfortable off to the side. And Sasha was dusting off the shelves, as if looking for something in particular. Soon, she found it, and let out a squeal of delight.

"The legendary map! It is said to have a magic in it that will enable anyone who holds it to see Filgaia just as it is now, and the map always changes as the planet does. Even though it's over two millennia old, this map will show us the current state of the world!" she exclaimed. Everyone quickly gathered around. They took one look at the map, and saw it was just as Sasha had said. The villages each had come from were there, as opposed to those that existed in the days where this kingdom was a center of magic throughout the whole world. All of them were amazed at the magic in the map.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, "What a foolish treasure you four have found, that thing can't be of much use. Just another useless trinket, when mapmakers are always fixing what is changing on the planet. And they can confirm it too, not like that thing which must rely on guesses. But I thank you for opening the door for the two of us, now we don't have to fight the Guardian. Not that Robert and I couldn't have taken care of something that weak, it just makes our lives easier."

In came a woman of about twenty-three. She had on an orchid dress with a blue scarf being worn around her waist like a belt. A blue ascot was on her neck, and a blue bow in her short orange hair. Deep blue eyes were on her face, an golden belts were around her leather boots and gloves. The ARM in her hand had three barrels, which could rotate to get an advantage horizontally or vertically.

With her came a young man who couldn't be more than twenty-five. Silver hair framed his face, and light brown eyes accented it. He had a green short sleeved shirt and black pants. Leather boots and gloves were part of his outfit, just like the girl, and a red bandana was around his neck. An ax was in his hand, and he appeared to be one who knew how to use it.

Sierra's blood boiled as she stared them down. "Selene Veraline and Robert Yerrian. So we meet once again after all this time. Remember how badly I beat you up on our last meeting?"

  
"Sierra Kenju," mused the woman called Selene, "My old arch nemesis. I guess I can finally get my payback for all of the humiliation I have suffered at your hands in the past. Get ready to fight, and this time I'm not going to lose. You'll be another victim to the Trinity 749A8, my triple shotgun."

"Yeah right, like I'm going to lose to that mess of an ARM. I know you just glued three separate ARMs together, the workmanship is so shoddy," Sierra replied. With that, she spied something laying at her feet. It was a Rifle, an ARM with great accuracy due to a scope on its side. She would probably not even have to bother waiting for her Lock On to activate. Especially since Selene had trouble with the evasion aspect of combat, only the physical power that came with it.

Selene yelled, "You're lose tongue has done you in this time. Let's go kill her Robert." With that, the two of them began to charge once more, ready for battle with our heroes.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…

And Lufia's making a copy of this map that Sasha found. If anyone wants I can scan it in for you. It make it easier for me to describe locations, should I need to go back to them. I like the way she did the golden borders, with symbols of the four High Guardians at each corner.


	9. Gunner Duel

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Gunner Duel

Sierra and Selene stared each other down. The older woman was confident in her triple gun, but everyone else was more with Sierra on the matter, it looked like some real shoddy workmanship. Kyoku jumped off Sierra's shoulder, not wanting to get involved in such a matter, and onto Lyle's.

"Now, then," Selene began, "Let's get this done and over with. I've got a busy schedule to stick to and I didn't need this interruption. If you want, you can just give the treasures over to Robert and myself, and we'll let you four go with only a nod. So, do you want to fight, or run away little girl?"

  
"Little girl! LITTLE GIRL! Hey! At least I'm not an old hag like you," taunted Sierra, well knowing that Selene was only twenty-three. It never failed to get a rise out of her when she thought she might be too old, one of Sierra's favorite insults on the days where the two fought one another.

Selene's face began to contort, Sierra's comment had attained its desired effect. She yelled, "Old! I'll show you, you little brat! I may be older than you, but I'm not old yet." Selene aimed her gun, ready to pull the trigger on a moment's notice. A gleam was in her eyes, which didn't impress Sierra.

Robert nodded. "Yes, my lady is not old at all. She's only twenty, if you round down." Which earned him a nice punch, a knock across the floor, and an enraged woman giving him the evil eye. Not things you want if the woman in question has a hair trigger temper like Selene.

"I'll show you," the Silver Wolf whispered, "You'll learn to respect this gun, Sierra Kenju. It will be the last thing you see before I kill you and send you to the bowls of Hell. I'm sure the Guardian of Death will be quite happy with the soul of one so vibrant as you, if the rumors of him feeding off the energy of the dead are true. You certainly have enough for a few hundred years worth of meals."

  
"That's not true, the Guardian of Death only takes our souls to the afterlife, he doesn't steal our energy. Where did you get a wacko idea such as that?" inquired Jacob, a little bit timid over the whole ordeal. Selene scared him, but he had to stand up for the Guardians when they were being insulted.

But Selene ignored Jacob. Instead, she fired her ARM at Sierra. Due to the random nature of a shotgun, however, it missed her completely. Sierra sighed, Selene had no patience for aiming her ARM and doing the job right. She then picked up her new Rifle, and aimed it carefully at Selene. This one hit the other Silver Wolf on the shoulder, Sierra wanted to avoid bloodshed if possible. Maybe she didn't like Selene, and maybe the disgust was mutual, but she had some high morals to stick by.

Suddenly, a loud noise could be heard from outside the room. In came a monster, which looked like a lion with talons and an eagle's face. If what the old records on monsters that can be coaxed into guarding treasure are true, then this beast would most definitely be a griffin. Not that they wouldn't know, with Sasha screaming out about the whole thing right in everyone else's ears. She was plain frightened of the creature, knowing well that her ancestors had chosen it for a reason to guard the vault.

She exclaimed, "Now see what you've done! You've awakened the guardian beast. And after all the work I did to make sure we wouldn't have to deal with it. Now, we've got to fight against something so powerful that it can rip us to shreds with only one blow of its massive claws."

Selene got up, and pulled Robert along. "Well, this has nothing to do with us, so Robert and I are just going to leave here. It pains me to leave this treasure, but we have no choice. We'll settle the score another time, Sierra." Then, the two ran away, leaving the four to fight the griffin on their own.

"How can we destroy it?" asked Lyle, "Sasha, you said your people have always studied the ancient culture in order to find these ruins some day, but did they mention anything about killing griffins in the report? Or did they assume that the person who goes will just have the key on them?"

  
'No choice, I'll have to unleash the powers locked deep inside my soul. Teardrop, Dist Dims, and my own Crest Sorcery must combine, in order to stop this beast from wreaking havoc or killing those who have come to call me their friend,' thought Sasha. She then stepped forward, facing the griffin.

Jacob screamed, "Get away from there! You're going to get hurt. At least let the three of us go with you, it's just too dangerous on your own." He himself didn't know what his outbursts were directed at. Certainly, back home, such a display of anger would have earned him a beating by his father.

Sasha shook her head, and smiled. "Don't worry, this is how to defeat the griffin. As only a Shaman can summon it, only a Shaman can destroy it." She called up her Force Skill, Mystic, and activated the Teardrop's power. Then, the spell to summon the staff Dist Dims was added. Energy flowed from both, casing an incremental increase in Sasha's power. When the time was right, she began to take aim with her spells, and cast Flame on the griffin. It began to reel from the pain of fire instantly. Before it could counter, the Freeze spell was added to the attack. The griffin began to scream in a tone that didn't belong in this sane world, and then was turned to fine ash.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Sasha said, "I guess I should have let you in on my secret. I was just so afraid of dying, that I kept it inside like everyone else back home. I should have trusted my friends a little more. The people of Neo-Adlehyde are descendants of this kingdom, those that avoided persecution. But we would never summon a demon, we've been Guardian worshippers for millennia now."

"Apology accepted, I'm just glad you're not hurt. A pretty lady such as yourself shouldn't have to risk her life so foolishly," Lyle replied, earning him a hard glare from Sierra. But the young woman didn't know why she was glaring at him, he was certainly free to do whatever he wanted in life.

Jacob told them, "Anyway, we've found a great boon of treasure. Let's hand the artifacts over to the foreman back in town, and claim our reward. All except the map, which might prove useful on our travels. And take these, Lyle, Sierra, they'll go a long way to protect you from any harm."

  
He handed the Felgalon Medium to Lyle, and Sasha gave Moor Gault to Sierra. Now, the whole team was Guardian protected. It would certainly come in handy for when they encountered any enemies on the battlefield. And by dividing them, he lessened the chance of someone stealing them before he could return the Mediums to Baskar for his brother's ceremony.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…

That was the longest "Threads of Fate" parody scene I've written. Well, I saw some fanart last night, and realized I'd almost made Sierra and Selene act like Mint and Belle. So, I redid some of the scenes involving them, just for kicks. I do make plans most of the time. However, just as a base, I never work without a base. But I do work without a direction, remember how far off track from my original plan I took "Destined Daughter". I ended up with merging dragon sisters, and demons living in glaciers, instead of the empress being a demon, and two sisters having to kill one another.


	10. Back at NeoAdlehyde

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Back at Neo-Adlehyde

A few days later, the crew entered the city of Neo-Adlehyde. It was brimming with life and a cheerful mood was in the air. The foreman had, in reality, been looking for the artifacts in order to display them at the "Festival of Magic", so they had even given him the map. Sasha, however, seemed to be striking a deal to get it back once the celebration was done with. Sierra couldn't figure out why, maybe she knew the foreman from somewhere in the past. After all, they were both Shamans, and came from the same city, there was a chance they could have met before. But that didn't matter to Sierra and Lyle, they had been paid in plenty for a job well done. Jacob had told him not to give him anything, he was just happy to help. And Sasha thought the map would suffice for her share of the payment.

"Well, I can't thank you three enough," Sasha said, "Not only am I back home once more, but I managed to help find the treasures of our ancestors. I'd better get going now, maybe we'll meet again someday. Here is your payment for a job well done." With that, she gave each person a bag with a thousand Gella in it, and began to walk back towards the castle, in order to see her father.

"Well that was nice. She sure was in a hurry to leave," Jacob noticed, wondering why. Sasha was so friendly, why wouldn't she want her new friends to meet her family? It didn't make sense, unless one of her parents was a little bit paranoid over strangers and/or non-Shamans.

Sierra replied, "Don't worry too much. All people have to leave one another one day. It's just a fact of life. Soon, we're going to be apart as well. And then, it won't be too long before we all forget this encounter, it was such a small part of our life and all. The only things a person will remember very long are times when they're hurt or sad, since despair always prevails over happiness."

Jacob looked at her. "You really think that? Maybe you should head over to the Fallen Sanctuary when we arrive at Baskar Colony. I think you might need some counseling from the Guardian of Hope, Zephyr. He certainly can lift a person's spirits high when they feel that nothing is left for them in this life. Why do you have such emotions locked into your heart, what happened to you in the past?"

  
But Sierra avoided the question by suggesting they visit the local saloon, and book a room for the night. It might be worth it to stay for the festival, maybe she could find her father in the crowd. It was worth a shot, she knew nothing about him and had no leads in tracking him down. Only two days at the most she'd stay here, though, then they'd bring Jacob home and she could finally be alone again.

* * *

"And that's what happened, Father," Sasha concluded, "With the help of those three young Silver Wolves, I was able to get home safely. But now, I'm in need of replacement guards to continue this journey around the world. So, can you assign me any new ones, I want to leave as soon as possible."

  
"Of course, Sasha. I'll give you some guards to allow you to continue. After all, you need to have this experience in order to become a better queen. But at least wait until after the festival, the people will be so happy to have the princess here for it," the king replied. King Martin Vanderbuilt VII was an aging man of fifty, with black hair beginning to gray, and blue eyes like his daughter. He wore ornate robes, and a crown on his head with a ruby in the center. After the death of his wife to a sickness, he had become extremely close to Sasha, always wishing to help her out in any way. He feared for her safety, worried about what would happen once he was gone and no longer able to protect her. Thus, this journey, so she might never be involved in a war, and never have to die by the hands of an enemy's sword.

She told her father, "That was just what I wanted too. Fredrico is holding a magical item for me until the display ends, so I have to wait. He promised it to me as a reward for helping him to find it. And it will be of great use to me on this journey around the world." Silently, she prayed for the others to be ok, for them to make it safely to Baskar, before she departed. After all, it wouldn't do for her to be seen when she went to make her speech during the festival, what would they think of her then?

* * *

Sierra had no idea where she was. It appeared to be a battlefield of some sort, but she didn't know where. Bodies of what appeared to be demons littered the ground, as well as human remains. One man was standing in the midst of it, a wild looking man with purple hair and red eyes. He looked at the mess of death before him, and hung his head, as if shamed by what he'd done.

As Sierra approached, he began to wave his arms frantically, signaling her to stop. "Stay away, if you're not careful, you might end up like them. It's as if I have a second personality inside of me, one that comes out when I am in battle, or when I get scared. I just can't stop killing then, not only my enemies, but also my allies. I don't want to hurt you, miss, so leave here now." Panic was in his voice, as if he truly believed he would do harm to the girl standing before him.

Sierra wasn't afraid at all. She stepped forward, wanting to see what was wrong with the man. It puzzled her though, usually she could care less about other people. But there was something in this man, a kindred spirit perhaps, that caused her to abandon her usual morals in favor of helping him out. This would be the time when Kyoku would start yelling at her to heed the warnings, but for some reason the Wind Mouse wasn't there. That was strange, Sierra and Kyoku never went anywhere without one another, they were bound as sisters by more than just mere blood.

"Stay back!" ordered the man, "Else I'll shoot you dead like the others!" When Sierra still didn't back off, he pulled out a bazooka, and fired. Pain shot through Sierra's body, like hot knives. She did, however, manage to shoot him back with a Rocket Launcher she didn't own. He too went down, dying. That was the only satisfaction Sierra found, that at least she wouldn't die alone.

* * *

Sierra shot right up out of bed. The dream disturbed her, not just because of the death involved. It was because she had ENJOYED killing the man, wanted to hear more screams of death in her ears. It was as if there was something telling her to go out and destroy all those who had hurt her, her father, the saloon mistress, and even her birth parents. But why would she feel this way, she who had never enjoyed causing death, who always tried to disable and not maim?

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

I know this isn't my usual sort of content. But I just love dreams that subtly hint at a character's past, and make them begin to think. Especially placed at the ends of chapters, where they become nice, juicy cliffhangers. And where the person gets to start the next chapter out with a little sorting of the mind.


	11. Raining on the Parade

****

Raining on the Parade

Sierra didn't tell anyone about her strange dream, chalked it up to fatigue and nothing more. She didn't want Kyoku to start freaking out, or Lyle to get into his big brother act. The only thing she needed was to see what she could at the festival, make sure her foster father hadn't come here, and then move on to the next destination, just as it had always been since the day she left home two years ago.

There was just too much to take in. Magic from every century that could be found was there. Some people were even performing tricks with different spells, like juggling fire, or being levitated by a bubble of water. Jacob was very much interested by that part of the festival, so he stayed to watch. In the meantime, Lyle and Sierra were both looking around at the artifacts, as they were accustomed to ruins and deciphering what ancient things were for. Not that they had gone together, they looked at different artifacts at different times. It was almost as if they didn't know each other.

"Sierra," Kyoku admitted, "I feel a dark presence in the air. Do you remember the last time I felt something like that? It wasn't too much longer before the earth opened, and we were swallowed up by it. Remember, it's only been two years since that adventure, the one that started it all."

Sierra remembered alright. It stung at her heart to think about the time when she learned that her father wasn't her real father, that he had found her only to abandon her once more. Why had he even bothered to write in that journal that he wanted a daughter, when he threw her out at the next town. If he had told the saloon's mistress that he found her abandoned, and couldn't take care of her himself, then she could have forgave him. But to tell the woman that she was his daughter, and THEN leave her, it was something Sierra considered cruel and unusual punishment. But punishment for what?

Kyoku's words stuck with her, though. Every time the Wind Mouse got feelings like that, it spelled trouble for the duo. Now, Sierra was sure that something bad would happen, the sky was getting darker by the minute. She was sure the people of Adlehyde realized it too, they weren't fools. It was just too freaky to be natural. Just in case, Sierra made sure her ARMs were fully loaded.

Suddenly, thunder cracked in the air. Monsters appeared all over town, and began to fight its populace. It reminded some of the legendary battle that took place in the original Adlehyde over two thousand years ago, the one that started the holy ancestors of the royal family on their journey. But this time things were different. Everyone in the city knew magic, and they were all fighting back.

"Sierra! Kyoku! Let's go find Jacob, we've got to unite all our power and strength to help deal with this threat," Lyle called. Sierra ran to where he was standing, ready to help out in any way she could. The two then returned to where the shows were going on, in order to find Jacob.

The young priest was already fighting back with his Lores. He then did something amazing, which the others couldn't define. By screaming out the word, "Summon," and expending 50 Force Points, he called forth the entity from within the Medium of Schturdark - - which Sasha had returned before leaving the others. The great turtle appeared before them, and soaked the demons with his powers of water.

Jacob looked at the others, relieved to see they were alright. "I can't believe I was actually able to summon a Guardian. It's said to be one of the hardest tests to becoming a full-fledged priest. That's why my brother needs the Mediums back, he has to summon a Guardian to finish the initiation."

  
"Well, let's get going," Sierra said, "I see the demons are all heading for the castle for some odd reason. Maybe we can find out what they want if we go there as well. What have we got to lose?" The dream had apparently affected her in ways she didn't know, she felt an eagerness to kill rising up inside of her. Sierra was worried at what these new changes might bring to her body and mind.

They took off at top speed, towards the Vanderbuilt Palace. Demons tried to block their way at every turn, but Sierra and the others just blew on through, barely being hit at all. Soon, they arrived, and saw the wreckage before them that had once been the kingdom's proud center.

* * *

Although still standing, the castle was blackened by flames and bodies lay everywhere. Sierra looked at them, and remembered her dream again. It brought on a rather unpleasant feeling. Why would she want to kill like this, she'd never desired death and carnage before? If only she could confide in someone, but Kyoku and Lyle overreacted to these situations, and Jacob had enough to worry about without having to think about some crazy dream that could or could not be affecting her.

Soon, they found the throne room. King Vanderbuilt was sitting on his throne, with a pike in his side. Sierra walked forward, her desire for carnage forgotten at the sight of the wounded monarch. She pulled the pike out, and began to apply Heal Berries to the wound. Soon, he was completely recovered. It was a relief, now she and the others could get some information out of him.

"The demons came to take our mystical treasure, the Teardrop. I refused to give it to them, so they kidnapped my only child. Please, kindly Silver Wolves, please help me to hunt these monsters and return my beloved daughter to me," begged the king, nearly pulling Sierra's shirt down in the process.

Sierra asked, "How much are you going to pay? I can't stand to see demons kidnapping people, but I don't work for free. So, let's just talk about payment before we begin."

  
The king looked at her, she seemed both honorable and money hungry. Two personalities that rarely came together in one person. "I'll pay you a full three thousand each if you are able to return her to this kingdom. She's all I've got, I can never forgive myself if something happens."

Sierra agreed to the terms, and they began to head on out. The team purchased more Heal Berries for the journey before leaving. Fredrico stopped them, and loaned them the map, so they could find the demon's hideout. Then, the trio left in order to rescue the princess.

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

For humor, they don't know this is Sasha they're saving. Remember, she told them her name was Sasha Inverse, and made no mention to being a princess at all. That's the reason they don't suspect a thing. As to where the Teardrop is, she put it in a vault before being kidnapped, so they couldn't find it at all.


	12. Ninja Demon

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Ninja Demon

The team began to head south, to the area that the leader of the demons had said he would be taking the princess. Every once in awhile, a monster would attack. Sierra and Lyle were cutting through the enemies with their swords, while Jacob cast Lores. As they got closer and closer to the cave, the demons were getting stronger. It appeared as if they were guarding their leader, trying to make sure that he could keep the princess as long as he need to in order to further whatever plan he had.

Once inside, they encountered a sort of wolf/lizard hybrid guarding one of the tunnels. Since it looked bigger than most of the monsters, they assumed it to be some sort of major member of the enemy attack force. It struck out with a swipe of its tail, which threw the team backwards. From that, Lyle began to get an idea. The creature's tail resembled a sword, so why couldn't he use his own weapon in such a manor. As he began to concentrate, he found a new Fast Draw Hint. By practicing it on the monster, the Sonic Buster skill was learned. Not that it was any more effective than Meteor Drive, since Sonic Buster was meant to weaken a group, while Meteor Drive was for single combat.

Sierra aimed her rifle, and shot at the beast. It wasn't a very evasive monster, so she didn't have to Lock On. That was good, it would save her FP in case she needed to Summon Moor Gault to her aid. She could see Jacob trying to cast the Red Beaut spell, the beast was apparently weak to fire.

Soon, they could hear it beginning its death agonies. Sierra and the others all stood back, not wanting to get hurt when the beast collapsed. When it fell, it made a huge crashing sound. They began to worry that some of the other demons would hear the beast's death, and come to investigate.

"That was close," Jacob stated, "Let us just get the princess and get out of here. I don't know about the two of you, but I'm frightened. This place isn't somewhere you'd want to be on a normal day. And the demons could return at any moment in full force, and destroy us all."

  
"Don't be such a baby! We can take care of any demons that come at us. Honestly Jacob, I don't know why I teamed up with you, you're such a whiner," Sierra stated. She began pacing, muttering about her wishes to return to traveling all alone, with only Kyoku by her side.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, "How in the heck did you manage to kill Bloodlust? That demons was one of the best ones I've ever trained. And a trio of HUMANS kills him in only a few minutes. Now all of you will die by my hands." A man, or what appeared to be a man, entered the room. He had purple hair, pale skin, and red eyes. A gray ninja's jumpsuit was on his body, with chainmail underneath. Leather gloves and boots were also present, as well as a leather belt around his waist. The man's weapons were a pair of daggers, that looked as if he sharpened them every day in order to maximize their power.

Sierra looked at him. "What's it to you if we killed the beast or not? You've been holding the princess of Neo-Adlehyde prisoner, and we've come to get her back. If you want to live, you will just return her to us. Else, we will have no choice but to kill you, ninja boy."

  
"Quite admirable," he replied, "I am Kogatana, the fourth member of the Knights of Death. We are under divine orders from Lady Shihaisha to take this planet from you puny humans. But we need the powers of the Guardians to do so, that's why the princess is under our guard. If you give me that little gem of hers, then I might be persuaded to give her back to you losers." He tried to strike them down, but found he couldn't. Sierra had brought up her Handgun, and fired. Although the wound was minor, he appeared to be frightened for some reason. Then, with no explanation why, he ran off.

'Weird, all I did was shoot him. For what reason would he decide to run off from such a minor wound as that? Or is it some sort of force that he could sense from my ARM? Could it have some reason to do with why I was abandoned as a little baby?' wondered Sierra.

* * *

They continued onwards, through all of the corridors. Soon, the trio arrived at the jail cells. The guard, a humanoid lizard with blue skin and a tan underbelly, was sleeping. So it was an easy task for Kyoku to slip his belt off, and take the key. She handed it to Sierra, who opened the cell.

Suddenly, magic flew out from the back of the chamber, hitting Sierra with the powers of Ice. A voice stated, "If you demons come any closer, I'll kill you. I swear it, there's no reason for you to hold me. Only a woman who is pure of heart can wield the Teardrop. And I don't think you have any women with hearts other than stone in this wretched place. If you let me go, I'll spare you."

Sierra looked further in. "I know that voice. Sasha! Is that you?!" She walked towards the back of the cell, and saw her friend sitting in a corner, ready to fight if needed be. But when the princess saw who exactly had come to visit, she got up. Now that she knew it was only Sierra, she healed the shoulder wound that had been inflicted when she'd cast her Ice spell on the gunner.

"Sorry," Sasha apologized, "I was just a little jumpy. What with all these demons here, I thought they'd come to rough me up a little bit more. And I'm sorry for lying to all of you again. It's just, that I was worried that people would only like me because I am a princes, and not because I am Sasha."

"It doesn't matter to me. I didn't go into this for the money, just for the mutual help getting back home. Baskars have no need for monetary gain, just completing the work of the Guardians. We're a lot like Shamans in that sense, if you want to think of it like that," Jacob replied.

Lyle said, "Yeah, maybe I'm always looking for a buck or two, but I'd never use a lady in order to get it. I do have a code of chivalry that I must follow at all times, so not to dishonor my father's memory, or cause my mother any unnecessary hardships or strife."

Sierra shrugged. "Even I have a code of honor, if you so believe it. I don't work for free, but I would never sell myself out to harm another living being. Believe it or not, I don't like killing at all. If at all possible, I want to spare the lives of those I fight. Unless they're evil, then I have no choice. What do you say, we all head back to Neo-Adlehyde, and get Sasha back to her father."

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words 

You know, that scene with Bloodlust and Kogatana was like what we were watching when my dad played Legaia 2 yesterday. I've been thinking, Sky, since I named all PSX RPGs after the Tales of Destiny cast (that being my first PSX RPG and all), I want to name all PS2 RPGs after WA3 (as it's the first PS2 game I beat and also own, Grandia II was the first one I beat but I did it in the week I rented it)

****

Translations  


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Kogatana=dagger

****

Shihaisha=ruler


	13. On to Baskar

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On to Baskar

After meeting with King Vanderbuilt, Sasha brought her friends into her room. She had been quite amazed when they'd turned down the reward for finding her, on the principal that she was their friend. So now, she wanted to hire them to help her out on the most important mission of her life.

"As you know," Sasha began, "The demons came to steal the Teardrop from Neo-Adlehyde. It is quite similar to the incident of two thousand two hundred years ago, when my ancestors fought against an invading force of demons. If these creatures are indeed returning to Filgaia, I have an obligation to stop them, as heir to Adlehyde. So, I would like to hire the three of you to help me out, to track down these demons and stop them." She was once again wearing the Teardrop, wanting to keep it close to her in case of emergency. As well as the Schturdark Medium that Jacob lent her once more.

"Count me in! I'm going all around Filgaia, looking for the funds to support my sick mother anyway, so I might as well travel with one of my friends, instead of just going at it by myself. And tracking demons intrigues me, they have connections to the days gone by, and the legends of the Fast Draw, that dated back to the Kingdom of Arctica," stated Lyle, looking ready to fight against the whole army.

Jacob whispered, "I don't know how effective I would be, but I'll lend you my strength as well. I'm sure you can use even the least bit of power to augment what you already have. That is, if you want a failure like me to come along with you." He looked away from Sasha, a tear in his eyes.

Sierra was looking out the window. 'That demon, he was afraid of me for some reason. Why could he be afraid of a human like me? There's got to be some logical explanation. Maybe, if I go on this little trip of Sasha's, I might be able to find out why. That's it, I've got to go as well, even if that means I've got to deal with all these people for a little while longer. I mean, how long can it take, a few months?'

"Ummmmmm. . .Sierra?" asked Sasha, "Is something the matter? I would be honored if you would lend your gun to my cause. You're one of the most powerful fighters I've ever met, and I'm sure with you on the team we'd succeed much quicker than if you weren't by our side."

"I'll go with you guys, if it makes you happy. But remember, this must be an official job. I know we're friends and all, but if you want me to sign myself up to a lengthy campaign like this, then you'd better be willing to pay me in full for my services. So, how about it?" inquired Sierra.

Sasha told her, "I'll pay a thousand Gella up front for bodyguard services, as well as letting you stay at the castle for free if ever we're in town. After this mission is done, you'll get another 4,000 Gella, plus a bonus for other things that you might have to do during its course. Since I don't know what exactly we're up against, then I won't be able to provide you with any more information than that."

Sierra agreed, and they went to talk to the king about it. He was overjoyed to see his daughter was going to have her friends as her bodyguards on the journey, but the fact that she'd be fighting demons upset him. After a little bit of reassuring, though, he lent them a ship to head back towards Baskar Colony. Jacob was sure his brother would be able to help them out.

* * *

Sasha looked across the room, at Sierra. She was sitting on her bunk, dejected, and shining her ARM. The young woman was puzzled, what was depressing a girl of that age like that. "Kyoku, what happened to Sierra in the past to cause her to become this way? She's awfully young to shy away from other humans like this. Doesn't her family and friends love her?"

"She doesn't have any," Kyoku whispered, so only the princess and the two men could hear, "When she was just a baby, she was given to a caravan leader by her birth parents. Unless her mom was dead and her father was with the caravan, since no women were involved in it. Anyway, monsters killed everyone on board, except Sierra and myself. A man found her, and wanted to raise her, but then he abandoned her at this saloon, so he could go off and be a Silver Wolf. She wasn't loved by the woman who ran the saloon either, all that witch thought of Sierra was another mouth to feed and that she better get to work. Anyway, when she found out that the man who left her there wasn't her real father, she went out on a journey, so she could find out who she really was. But in two years, no leads have ever presented themselves. We don't know where her foster father is, either. Maybe he was killed by monsters, it would certainly serve him right for what he did to poor Sierra."

"That's sad, I wish there was something I could do for her," Lyle replied. He looked at the gunner, who was still immersed in shining her ARMs. It was almost as if she wanted to hide from the world, she didn't deserve to be around other humans. He deduced that it must have been a side effect from being abandoned all those times, and never having a person to show her love. Certainly, it wasn't natural for someone to be this antisocial at such a young age.

Unbeknownst to them, Sierra had heard the whole conversation. She thought, 'I guess it is funny. I'm just an unlovable little wretch, no one ever has cared about me. Why do they all insist that they're my friends? I would like to be friends, but I bet they'll just leave me when I'm of no more use to them. Just like my parents, my foster father, and everyone else I've known.'

* * *

That night, aboard the ship, she began to toss and turn in her sleep. Again, Sierra was dreaming, this time she was in a forest. The sound of dogs could be heard all around, as if a hunt was going on. And the prey was apparently Sierra. For the second they saw her, she was knocked down by two great hunting dogs, both powerful Dobermans.

A man came up behind them. "You don't deserve to live, you're just a demon in disguise. Now, you're going to die for all the crimes you've committed." He picked up his ARM, and fired at Sierra. But there was no blood, it was almost as if he hadn't shot a human being at all.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…

Poor Sierra, she's got more angst than the entire WA3 cast combined. At least Jet wasn't constantly tormented by dreams of pain. He only had a few flashbacks, and Leehalt's harsh words.


	14. Secondary Elements

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Secondary Elements

"Brother!" exclaimed Marco, "You're alive! I was so worried after the demons attacked us at the Fallen Sanctuary." He ran up to the four warriors, and gave a hug to his beloved twin. Marco then gave Jacob a hug. Sierra found herself feeling jealous of the bond they shared, but quickly shook it off. After all, she had no need for worrying about another person in addition to herself. Kyoku was enough of a handful, and she kept in the gunwoman's bag at all times, unless asked to get something.

"Let us go back into the house. I've got to warn you about the demons, and their plans. They seem to be after the Teardrop, the sacred gem of the Shamans, and wish to use it to destroy or take over the world," Jacob stated. They then went back to the twins' home, and talked over dinner.

* * *

Marco said, "I get it now. You've all had quite an adventure. I think I can help you. Go south, and head through the forest. You'll come to the Lakeside Sanctuary. There, the four Lesser Elemental Guardians lie. They represent Ice, Thunder, Light, and Dark. I'm sure they'll help you out."

Jacob was shocked. "But Marco, don't you need the Guardians for your ceremony? I mean, you've got to Summon one in order to be fully ordained as a priest. So you don't need to give them to us. At least wait until after you've become the true High Priest before you give them to us."

  
"No, brother," Marco told him, "You've got to fight against the demons, and can ill afford to wait. Besides, we've got the Odoryuk Medium still in Baskar's shrine. The search for the Elemental Guardians is more along the line of formality, the symbolism of conquering Guardians. I've already used the Life Medium to become a full-fledged priest. Here, take it, I don't need it anymore." With that, Marco put the Life Medium into his brother's hand. Jacob Invoked it, and then they were off to the Lake.

* * *

After combing the forests around Baskar, going south, and traveling through yet another forest, they came to a large shrine next to a boomerang shaped lake. Figuring the name of the Sanctuary fit the description of the area, the group went inside to look around. By this time, Jacob had learned both Lores in Odoryuk, which were First Aid and Turn Undead. He could now help Sasha heal the team.

Soon, they arrived at the shrine area. There, in front of them, were four pillars, with the symbols of Noua Shax of Thunder, Aru Sulato of Ice, Stare Roe of Light, and Celsidue of Darkness. Since both Sasha and Jacob were from Guardian worshipping families, it was decided that the two of them should be the ones to call forth these entities, and petition them to help out the four Silver Wolves.

"Oh Guardians, hear our plea. Demons are coming to destroy this beautiful wold that you have protected for millennia. Please, help us to fight against this evil, and bring peace back to the planet we hold so dear in our hearts," chanted both the princess and priest. The Teardrop began to glow, shining in sync with a glow from the pillars. Suddenly, energy left the pillars, and formed Mediums in the hands of the two youths. Jacob took Nou Shax, Sasha claimed Aru Sulato. Lyle Invoked Stare Roe. And Sierra was given Celsidue. Now, the team was even better equipped to fight the demons.

Kyoku reminded them, "We must go back to Baskar, maybe Marco knows of another shrine or two we can raid. The more Guardians in our pack, the better for us. I don't know about you, but these demons give me the creeps." She shivered a little, and went back into Sierra's pack.

Suddenly, a laugh cut through the air. "Well, well, well, you humans are quite slick. But I don't think you can stand against me." A man jumped down from the top of a pillar on the side. He had pale skin, brown shorts with triangular cuts around the knees. Leather cuffs were on his arms, and there were silver rings around his shoulders and waist. The man had no hair, but a red X on his forehead and red eyes. And he looked to be quite dangerous, with huge muscles and all.

"Who are you?" demanded Sierra, "And what do you want with the four of us?" She drew her Rifle, and prepared to fire. Sierra saw Lyle bring out his sword, and the magicians getting ready to cast a spell or two on the demon man. But he just began to laugh.

"So, you're the one that shot at Kogatana in the cave. Just as he said, you appear to be quite powerful. Your spirit is almost as strong as that of a demon. But you are not one of us, I don't know why you have such powers. No matter, I, Kobushi, will destroy you now," he said.

Lyle stepped out in front of Sierra. He stated, "No matter what, I will not allow you to harm this girl in any way. You will sooner face my blade." The youth decided to try the new skill he had learned from a hint left on a statue in the Lakeside Shrine. Suddenly, the Divide Shock was opened. It was able to cut Kobushi's HP in half, knocking him back. A Lightnin from Jacob and a Spark from Sasha was enough to finish him off. Black, demonic blood flowed from his wounds.

Kobushi laughed. "Humans, you have not defeated me. And you have not fought the worst of us yet. The two strongest members of the Four Knights of Death are still waiting to try their hands. As is Kogatana, he wants to get his revenge. One day, the four of us will join together to destroy you all." Then, the world will be ours." With that, Kobushi teleported off.

* * *

"These demons seem to be getting more bold," Marco deduced, "It appears as if the Guardians are beginning to weaken once again. In the old days, the holy power from the shrine wouldn't allow any wicked souls to even come close. I'm beginning to worry about the High Guardians, they always get turned to stone whenever things like this happen. Please, go to the Divine Shrine and check on them. It is on a continent to the north, in between two rivers, and near the twin towns of Marsala and Narsala."

"Narsala is my hometown, we'll surely be welcome there. But how to cross the river," mused Lyle. Then, he remembered what was waiting for him at Moro's Lab. He told his idea to the gang, and they decided to head on out towards the laboratory, to get help from the scientist.

- - - -

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Sky's Corner

Teefa's out of it again, she had a dilemma today. All she wanted to do was save artwork, instead she had to go all around the place to change things to JPG format. Problem saving things to hard drive, don't ask me, I'm no techno wiz. Lufia was fanning her with one of her fanfics, last I saw. Told you so. Oh, and Kobushi means fist in Japanese, Teefa's just a tad obsessive


	15. Statues of Power

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Statues of Power

"Well, young Lyle," Dr. Moro said, "You've come back for your Golem. Here she is, and I think you'll find her to be quite an impressive creation." He pushed a button, and a hatch on the ground began to open up. When it had finished, a giant machine rose out of the ground. It was humanoid, with the body of a young woman. Her exterior was brown, with golden horns on top of her head. On her arms was what appeared to be a pair of blue barriers, used to protect her master.

"I call her Lucrecia. This baby has the power to walk over rivers, and destroy rocks that may be blocking the road. As well as creating barriers that can protect you from large doses of magic. She's the greatest creation that man has ever seen. And now, I'm giving her to you, just like I promised," he stated.

Jacob asked, "Are you sure, sir? I mean this is a pretty expensive looking device, and what if we lose it? Besides, you created it, and this is part of your research. So why are you giving it to us?"

  
Moro smiled. "Simple, I only wanted to know how to build one for reference. It's not like I need a Golem around the house. You kids, on the other hand, are taking on the demons of legend, and it will be for the best if you take something like Lucrecia along with you. She's probably got powers that even I haven't dreamed of. And I constructed her from the very first nut and bolt. Oh, and take this Ocarina. It will play a soothing melody that calls Lucrecia to you, no matter where you are in the world."

He handed the Ocarina to Lyle. Then, the crew said goodbye to Dr. Moro, and re-boarded the ship. This time, they sailed even farther north. After resupplying in the town of Marsala, Lyle began to play a tune on the instrument. After Lucrecia appeared, the team got on, and crossed the river, to a valley that was surrounded by not only the river, but a tributary of the river and a mountain range, leaving it inaccessible to normal travelers. There, they found a shrine, and went inside.

* * *

"This is the Divine Shrine," stated Jacob, "I remember looking at pictures of it when I was just a little boy growing up in Baskar. In reality, this is the true home of the High Guardians, our shrine in Baskar is mere formality and comes from our want to worship them. If they are in trouble, we will find nothing but statues at their altars. Then, only our emotions can free them again."

The team continued onwards, through the ruins. Along the way, monsters tried to fight them. None were too much of a threat, and were killed quickly. Lyle was hard at work during the battles, mastering several more Fast Draws. Now, he could use the thieving skill Trickster, the Heal Blade, an instant death called Soul Breaker, and an all enemy attack called the Blast Charge. As they traveled, Sierra managed to find a Shotgun ARM, which had little accuracy and was completely random, which she had no intent of using in the near future. She didn't need unnecessary complications.

"Why would I want a stupid Shotgun? It's gonna take a long time to get the accuracy needed in order to hit my enemy. And the Rifle is WAY more powerful. Whoever made this stupid model of ARM must have been on some drugs when he created it," Sierra commented.

Jacob told her, "Well, it's for people with a real random streak in their nature. Kind of like an ancestor of mine. He's the brother of my great, great, great, well, you get the picture, grandfather, Shane Caradine. Now Shane's brother, Gallows, ran away from home to become a Drifter, which is what they used to call Silver Wolves. He had this lax, let things just come to him, and hope Chapananga is with him at the moment attitude, so a Shotgun was the perfect weapon to fit his personality."

They continued onwards for a little while longer. Near the end of a path, stood a large creature. It appeared to be a spider, but it was much larger, and its eyes were a demonic shade of red. And this spider also seemed to have poison dripping from its fangs, ready to take a bite out of intruders.

Lyle pulled out his sword, followed by Sierra. The young man thrust it out in front, ready to take on the monster. "You will never harm either of these fine ladies, not while Lyle Kenjutsushi draws breath. Divide Shot, weaken my foe so that the others can destroy him." Half of the poisoned spider's HP was taken away, leaving him open for attacks from the other members of the team.

Sasha used Flame, and Jacob used Red Beaut. Because, like all bug monsters, this spider was weak against fire. They were going to be the most powerful forms of counterattack the team would have at this time, as Sierra and Lyle had no elemental attacks to help them. Sierra decided to fight with her Rifle, while Lyle switched over to the Meteor Drive attack. Soon, the spider went down.

"Let's get going," Sasha stated, "That must have been what was protecting this shrine from intruders. The High Guardians can't be too much further on beyond this. Probably past the path that the creature was guarding. We don't have all day now." She began to run down the passage, with Jacob close behind. Sierra and Lyle followed right after the two of them.

* * *

Inside, they saw four pedestals. On each, stood a statue. These statues looked like a Wolf, a Lion, a Dragon, and a Goddess. Jacob stepped forward, and felt defeated. He didn't have to tell the others that these statues were of the four High Guardians, and they had been to late.

"Don't give up. After all, there's got to be a way to restore them," Lyle said.

Sasha replied, "There is. We've got to send enough energy to them, in order to strengthen their spirits. But here's the catch, we've got to use energy from our emotions, the same emotions that each of the High Guardians govern. That's how its always been done in the past."

Lyle looked at them. "Well, standing here isn't going to help anything. How about we head to Narsala, and visit my mom. She'll be happy to see me, and we can get a free room for the night."

  
The team began to talk about what they were going to do next, and how to find a new move. Only Sierra was silent. She was thinking again about her dreams, and what they could mean. It chilled her to the bone, how can someone like her be considered a monster in some way?

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words

Remember, in a WA, BoF, or FF style story, you must stick with the usual cliches of the story. That's why we've gotta release the High Guardians. I'll make it more like the first two games instead of the third.


	16. Gunner's Gift

****

Gunner's Gift

After arriving at Narsala, Lyle began to lead his friends to his own house. Soon, they arrived at a large mansion, with several smaller hoses where servants lived. They went to one of these homes, and the young swordsman knocked on the door. "Mother, it's me, Lyle. I've brought some friends over to see you and spend the night. There's also something I would like to ask you about."

A woman of about forty-five came to the door. She had her son's black hair and brown eyes, as well as his twinkling eyes. Madeline Kenjutsushi was wearing her maid's uniform, which consisted of a black dress, black heels, a white apron, and a white kerchief for her hair. And she was extremely happy to see her son. So happy, in fact, that she wasted no time showering him in hugs and kisses.

"Oh my baby boy," the woman exclaimed, "You've finally come home to mommy. Let me take a look at you, oh how you've grown up, and it's only been three months since I last saw you. I bet the girls are just going wild for you. Which one of these two beauties is the one that's stolen your heart away."

"Mother, please, you're embarrassing me. These are my friends, Sierra, Jacob, and Sasha. Oh, and Kyoku the Wind Mouse, who lives in Sierra's backpack, but she won't be out until there's food to be eaten, or her assistance is needed in solving a puzzle we find in an old ruin of some sort. And no, neither of the women here are my girlfriends, they're unwilling to take note of my advances," Lyle replied. When he mentioned each name, he pointed to his comrades. With the girls, he also flashed them a winning smile, as if to begin to flirt with them. Sierra scoffed, and Sasha turned away.

Madeline told them, "Well, now that we're all acquainted, let's go inside. My mistress has retired for the night, and I was just beginning to make myself some dinner. I'll cook the four of you up something as well, you probably are hungry after such a long journey. Come on in, don't be shy."

* * *

Sierra looked up from her food. "That was delicous, ma'am. So, tell me, if you're as sick as Lyle claims you are, then why are you working in a great mansion such as this? Surely the lady of the house knows of your problems, and is giving you special treatment because of them."

"Sierra!" scolded Kyoku, "That was really rude! She doesn't need to be reminded of her flaws, it might just offend certain people. Why don't you ever learn to control what you say to others?"

  
"It's ok, she was just curious. Well, to tell you the truth, my husband saved the life of the master of the house a few years back, at the expense of his own. He saw how hard it was for me to support myself and my son, so he took me on as a maid for his wife. Now, even though Lyle is bringing home survival money for me, he still keeps me on, as he worries about what'll happen if Lyle is hurt in some way on his travels. Thus, I've got this job to keep me living, as well as a store of money in case I am ever unable to continue working. My sickness isn't too bad, I can work under most conditions. But in the heat or late at night, I am prone to fainting spells," she told the female Silver Wolf.

Lyle added, "I must do all that I can for my mother, she's the only family I've got. And I really miss her when I'm on my travels. That's one of the reasons I brought all of you here. The other is one that might help us. Is Father's old journal still left up in his room, mother?"

  
Madeline nodded. "Yes, I never got rid of it. There's bound to be some ruins written in it that will help you kids out greatly. If you want, I can get it for you. You can probably find at least one place that will be of interest to people like you, and you reasons for fighting." She left the room, and went upstairs. When the woman returned, a book and a Machine Gun were in her hands.

"Father's journal," stated Lyle, "The place where he wrote all of his most valuable secrets in. There's got to be information about a Guardian Sanctuary somewhere inside, as Sasha and Jacob said the Guardians are our only hope. But, mother, why did you bring out that old ARM."

"You said your friend was a gunner, so I figured she would be able to fight with it. With the death of your father, this thing has just been collecting dust. At least in her hands, it will be able to fight against the demons once more," Madeline answered. She handed the gun to Sierra.

Lyle told his mother, "Well, I'll take some time to read through it. I'd better show the others to their rooms. We'll spend the night here, and move on to our next destination in the morning. Once I've got a clearer image of where in the world we are supposed to be going."

* * *

All that night, Lyle read page after page of his father's journal. Jacob, who was sharing his room, was fast asleep. The candle began to burn low, as the hours began to tick away. It was well past the hour of midnight when at last he closed the book. An idea had come to him, a small one, but an idea none the less. Now, he'd have to tell the others when they woke up once more.

* * *

The next day, the whole team had assembled to hear Lyle's announcement. "When reading Father's journal, I found out about the existence of a shrine in the middle of a desert on a continent east of Baskar. He called it the 3-Way Shrine, as there are three paths, and three pillars to three different Guardians located inside. Apparently, they are higher powers, that might prove useful."

"Degenos of the Mountain, Iona Paua of Saint, and Ge Ramtos of Death," Jacob told him, "These Guardians haven't been seen in a long time. It would be great fortune for us if we were to find them. We'd probably have even greater powers than the heroes of a thousand years ago."

  
"So it's decided. We'll hire a ship and head there right away. And once done, we'll go back to Baskar to see if Marco has any more information for us on the locations of Guardians," Sierra said.

They thanked Madeline for the food and room, and then left the house. After getting a ship in Marsala, the team began to set sail for this new continent. Hopefully, these Guardians wouldn't be in the shape of the High Guardians, and could be of some help to the four Silver Wolves.

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

My old man's rushing me, dang sister needs it for her homework. She had time after school, but her boyfriend was over. I so can't wait until I get the laptop I was promised.


	17. Three Ways to Go

****

Three Ways to Go

When the team went inside of the ruins, they saw just what had been described in the journal of Lyle's father. Three separate paths were there, and no way to know which one would be the most useful. Especially since they all would eventually lead to a Guardian, which was needed.

"I've got an idea," Sierra told the others, "Lyle, you take the first path. Sasha and Jacob, you take the second one. And I can go on the third. I know that Sasha and Jacob aren't as strong as Lyle and I, so it'll be much safer for them to stick together. I'm sure Lyle and I can handle ourselves."

"Sierra, I won't be around to protect you if we're on separate paths," commented Lyle, concerned for her condition. Although she hadn't told him about her dreams, and the depression she was starting to feel, he could tell that something was wrong. And Lyle wasn't one to let a girl stay depressed.

She informed him, "I can perfectly take care of myself, Lyle. Besides, Kyoku is with me. So let's get going, I'm sure the three Guardians aren't going to be happy if we take our time to kill these demons." With that, the young woman went down the third path. The others weren't happy, but went down the paths that she had told them anyway, knowing very well that they needed the help of the Guardians.

* * *

Lyle was quite happy with himself. On the way down the path, he'd gained a new tool called a Hookshot. With it, the youth could cross chasms by hooking the tool onto poles on the other side. But it wasn't going to be of much help with his current problem, the monster standing right before him. It was a stone beast called a Gargoyle, and seemed to be ready to feast on the youth's blood.

Lyle began to think of a way to help him out. 'If I remember correctly, beasts made out of stone are weak against wind. Well, I've got the Guardian of Wind, but no way to know how to use it. Wait! Jacob was able to call forth a Guardian before, so maybe I can do it too." With that, the young man began to focus on the Medium of Fengalon. Suddenly, it began to glow. Then, a giant white tiger with a ruby on its head descended from the other realm, and attacked the monster, killing it.

Hastily, Lyle went into the next room. There, he found a large statue of a Dragon. It looked just like the ones he'd seen at the Lakeside and Divine Sanctuaries. This had to be a Guardian's alter, but Lyle had no way of knowing how to call the entity forth in order to ask for assistance.

*Human,* spoke an eerie voice, *I am Degenos, Guardian of the Mountains. I can sense the return of our ancient enemies, the demons. I will lend you my powers on this quest.* With that, he transformed into a silver plaque, just like the other Mediums. Degenos descended into Lyle's hand, and the swordsman made this his third Invoked Guardian. Then, he began to head back to the beginning.

* * *

"Sasha, I think we're stuck. You already lit all of the fires with your Fire Amulet, but the door still hasn't opened," Jacob stated, looking at the puzzle before them. It consisted of several lamps, each one that could be lit by Sasha's magical amulet. But the only other lamps were too high up, and they appeared to already be lit. So what was the problem that kept the door locked.

Sasha exclaimed, "I've got an idea! The lamps up there aren't supposed to be lit. You've got to get me up there, so I can put them out with my Ice Amulet. Remember the Jump Boots we found earlier in the ruin? Use them to get me up to that ledge. Come on, we don't have all day."

Jacob suddenly realized that she was right. So he carried her up to the ledge, and she put the fires out. Then, the door opened. Another puzzle was set out before them. The plaque read, "Summon the power to open the door, else you will be locked inside of this sanctuary for all eternity."

Sasha began to think again. "Let's try calling forth the Guardians we have equipped. I've seen you do it, and so can I. After all, I am descended of the Adlehyde family, I can do this with ease." 

She began to concentrate. Then, the blue and brown turtle, Schturdark, appeared before them. Jacob followed her lead, calling on the blue dragon Grudiev. Then, the door opened. The duo went inside, and saw a sanctuary, with an altar to a Guardian standing before them.

*I see the power you two wield,* called the deity, *You are a Shaman and a Baskar, two bloodlines that are sacred protectors of this world. You can count on me to aid you in this struggle against demons. For I am Iona Paua, the Guardian of Saint.* His voice faded, and then a light left the shrine. It transformed into a Medium, landing in Sasha's hands. She Invoked the Guardian at once.

* * *

"Sierra, look ahead. It appears to be a treasure of some sort. Let me go and get it," Kyoku told her friend. She jumped over the small chasm, and picked up a treasure. It contained a Radar tool, which could locate lost treasures. Sierra tried it out at once, and suddenly four pings were heard from four boxes.

The two ran up to the boxes. Sierra threw each one, and found the most amazing things. Inside each, was an ARM. They were a Flamethrower, an Ice Gun, a Phase Gun, and a Howler. Now, Sierra was able to use the energy of Fire, Ice, Light, and Dark. And that was a good thing. For a monster that looked like a giant humanoid ice statue was rising up to attack her and her mouse.

Kyoku yelled, "Sierra, draw your Flamethrower, shoot this monster down!" She had left her safe haven in Sierra's backpack in order to perch on the girl's shoulder and yell.

Sierra brought up her new ARM, and fired. It shuddered, but was not destroyed. Now Kyoku had begun to panic, and was digging into the gunwoman's shoulder. It was starting to annoy Sierra greatly. So much so that she nearly threw the Wind Mouse off in order to shut her up.

The gunner sighed. "Kyoku, you freak out well too much. I've got an idea, let's do what Jacob does to Summon a Guardian. Maybe the flames of the Phoenix will be enough to stop it." She concentrated, and then Moor Gault came into the human realms. He struck out at the monster, killing it. That left Sierra and Kyoku free to go forward and find the third of the Guardians.

In the next room, they saw a shrine. It was just like the ones at the other sanctuaries, so even an idiot would be able to tell that it was a Guardian's home. She stepped forward to greet it.

*Death is my specialty,* the Guardian stated, *It is perfect for one like you, who fights with the deadly weapons of Demons, the ones mastered by the ancestors of humanity to combat their wicked overlords. You must take my power along, for Ge Ramtos will prove to be a worthy ally.* He then turned into a Medium as well, and allowed Sierra to Invoke him.

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…  
  
I've finally got my labtop. This is the first thing I'm typing on it. Luckily, we had that empty disk. As well as a new Slayers video, two Inu Yasha Graphic Novels, a new Tamora Pierce book, and the movie Princess Mononoke. I sure made a great shopping trip at the mall. Currently, I'm watching both the movie and typing.


	18. To the Stars

****

To the Stars

"Well, now each of us have three Guardians Invoked," Sasha stated, "But I have heard legends of where another Guardian lives. His name is Rigdobrite, the Guardian of the Stars. The crater in the north edge of this planet, where a Meteor fell in ancient times. Rigdobrite is has an attack that is derived from no element. If we see enemies that are immune to elemental magic, we can change our Guardian setup in order to attack without those additions. We'll have to head there next."

"Wherever you think we should go. I'm not a Shaman, nor a Baskar, so I don't have any ideas of what to do. So, I've decided to follow your lead in times like this," Sierra replied. She then gave a Heal Berry to Kyoku, who was still smarting from her attempts to claw poor Sierra earlier.

They returned to the ship, and sailed to an isle north of Adlehyde. At the northern end, they found a crater, with a large shrine inside. Figuring it was where Rigdobrite dwelt, they went inside. It appeared to be constructed like a cave, even though human hands had fixed it up. Jacob deduced that the outside of the fallen meteor had been fixed up, while the necessary components of a shrine were added to its hollowed out core. It would be fitting for a Guardian of the Stars to live inside of a meteor.

The whole place was lit up by torches, made of holes in the wall. Kyoku jumped on one, and got a hot foot. She ended up landing right back on Sierra's shoulder, where the gunner began to laugh. They then began to bicker with one another, and continued through the rest of the way.

"How amusing, a human and a rat arguing about such petty things when the Guardians are here before you. It is just fitting for your weak kind, whose ancestors refused the nanomachines back in the days of old. While our people gained power and immorality from them," a female voice echoed throughout the cavern. Then, a pale woman with red eyes and green hair appeared before them. She was also wearing a red dress, and carried no weapons. It appeared as if she was a demon sorceress.

Sasha demanded, "Who are you and why have you come to us?" She picked up her staff, and held it before her, determination in her eyes. The young sorceress knew that this one was going to have to be her fight, after all, magical duels were one of her specialties.

The woman cackled. "My name is Kachikina. I am the sorceress of the Knights of Death. I know that you fools are here to find the Star Guardian. I cannot allow that to happen. You will all die here. Unless you decide to turn tail and run, like all good little servant races. Which is what you rightfully are, your foolish ancestors left their posts in order to join with the Elw against us in the war."

"Like we'd just run away," Jacob yelled, "I am a sacred servant of the Guardians, as is Sasha. We are not servants of the Demons, not since the days of the old war. Our ancestors were no more than slaves to your kind, the Elw freeing us was a blessing that will always stay with us. Meaning we should never let their kindness go to waste, and join up with creeps like you ever again."

"I'd like to see you even try to defeat us. We are superior life forms, and you are just weak and frail beings. Mere humans can never hope to kill a demons," Kachikina stated.

Sierra ran at her, sword drawn. She attacked, leaving a large gash in the Demoness's arm. Black blood cascaded down to the ground, but that didn't stop Kachikina's advancement. If anything, she just laughed it off, regarding it as a minor irritation at the most. That puzzled Sierra, surely the wound was a great one. Even a Demon should be worried when he or she is injured.

The wicked sorceress said, "Foolish human, do you call that a wound? I could do better than that one, let's just say I can sever your arm from your body." And she would have too, if a bright glow hadn't distracted her from the task at hand. A large meteor with eyes in the hole in front, and star points on the top, bottom, left, and right was floating before them, looking like it wanted to destroy the Demoness.

Sasha's eyes became bright. "Rigdobrite, you're here! Oh, great Guardian of Stars, please help us in our endeavors against those that wish to bring harm to our beloved Filgaia. We will fight against the Demons with every power we possess, until they are gone from this world. A Guardian of your might should prove a useful ally in such a battle, so can you come along with all of us?"

*Yes, child,* Rigdobrite answered, *I will help those who wish to fight the wicked ones. You will have to protect our world, the world that adopted your ancestors. The Guardians would do anything to save the people from their oppression, even if they are our enemies. And once the neosapians were taken in by Filgaia, they became some of the most staunch supporters of those that wished to kill the demons, those that had once been their overlords. Take with you my powers, Shaman Princess.*

With that, Rigdobrite's body became light, and then a Medium. Not liking the instant death effect of Ge Ramtos, Sierra switched her Mediums. They then stared Kachikina down, ready to fight with the demon sorceress. The Demoness just laughed, she had no fear of simple humans.

"You humans may have a new ally at your side, but you will still fail. Try me on for size," she yelled at the humans. Then, the wicked one cast a spell, knocking Sierra out. But for some reason, that was all the Demoness wanted. Once done, she fled, returning back to her hideout.

Lyle called out, "Sierra! Oh, Guardians! Please don't die!" He ran to her, and held her in his arms. She still appeared o be breathing, but she was knocked out cold.

Jacob began to think. "I've got an idea. We can take her to Baskar, I'm sure there's some way to reverse the spell that has been cast. We can ask Marco for help in saving Sierra."

Lyle lifted her on his back, and began to carry her out of the crater, on their way back to Baskar. But what he couldn't see was that she was dreaming, fevered dreams that held the stench of death. She could only wonder why such dreams were becoming a part of her life.

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…  
  
I know the Robotech joke was cheesy, but it was fitting for this Guardian. Well, I figured since Siegfried said that humans were a lesser race of his kind, that maybe they were his slaves before the war. That's where that story came from.


	19. Watery Cure

****

Watery Cures

Sierra was dreaming. She was in the middle of a battlefield, holding her sword up high. The young woman lashed out at Demons and monsters that were standing in her way. Like most of her other dreams, Kyoku was nowhere to be seen. Next to her eagerness to kill, that was the strangest part.

Suddenly, she was not alone anymore. A figure stood before her, a figure dressed from head to toe in silver armor. A large Broadsword with a jewel studded hilt was in his possession. The man moved a step closer to Sierra, but for some reason she felt comforted by his presence.

*Listen well, child,* he said, *I am Equitess, the Guardian of Swords. You must seek Time itself, if you wish to know the truth. For just as Time is what saved you from a life of carnage, you must use its power once more. These dreams, they reflect the what might have been, had you been raised as a killer. Remember, Time is your only hope.* The Guardian began to transform into a Medium, and landed in the young gunner's outstretched hands. She wondered what the message meant.

* * *

Her three companions were back at Baskar, asking the help of Marco. But he was just as puzzled as anyone, never having to deal with a Demonic curse before. Suddenly, Equitess's Medium appeared on her breast. The young priest took it as a vision that she was under the Guardian's protection.

"That's it! We need a Guardian to break the spell! I remember old stories that talked of the healing of curses, using the power of Sea Guardian Lucadia. If we go to her shrine underneath the sea, then we will be able to find a way to help Sierra out," Marco stated.

Lyle exclaimed, "I'll do anything to help a pretty lady in need. Let's head out right away to this Undersea Shrine. Before something terrible happens, and Sierra is unable to defend herself." But he didn't elaborate on this. Instead, he switched off Degenos for Equitess, and left for the boat.

* * *

When they arrived at the darkened waters to the north of Baskar, Jacob stepped out onto the bow of the ship to pray. "Oh, great Guardian of the Sea, hear my pleas now. Let us come to your holy sanctuary, so that we may help a friend in need. Her life is in danger, and only you can save her. So please, let us enter your temple." With that, a bubble began to form around the warriors. They were blinded from a bit, as it was as if they were underwater. When their vision cleared, they found themselves in an ornate temple. It had a walkway going over the water, which covered most of the floor. And the torches were dripping water instead of housing fires, like at most other shrines and temples the gang had seen.

"Hold on Sierra," whispered Kyoku to her friend, "We're going to get there soon." The Wind Mouse was sitting atop Lyle's shoulder, and the swordsman was carrying the gunner in his arms. She wanted to be as close to her friend as possible, and figured that sitting on her wouldn't be good for the woman's health. Or she could accidentally freak out again and cause her some bodily harm on accident.

They walked through the temple, and several things happened. Jacob, who had been switching Guardians on every trip to get more skills, mastered Equitess's Lores. He now had completed the job, at least until they got Lucadia. Sasha found a special Crest Graph, that would allow her to begin learning Level 2 spells. She had plenty of extra graphs, finishing Level 1 some time ago. And Lyle managed to find a hint for and master the Fast Draw techniques Slash Rave, Guilty Blade, and Shadow Bind. These were a single enemy attack, a group attack, and an attack that paralyzes a group.

Finally, they arrived at Lucadia's chamber. But something was wrong. There was no lock on the door, yet it would not open. And no puzzle existed either. They sat there for awhile, contemplating the situation. Nothing seemed to come to them, even pushing with all their might hadn't worked.

It was then that Kyoku saw them, ARMs. They appeared to be of Missile Class, and were just laying there. Not one to leave things unattended, she picked them up. The first was a Missile Launcher, with a more powerful Rocket Launcher lying nearby. The main difference was that the Missile Launcher only affected one, while the Rocket Launcher affected all. A group attacking missile called a Skylord was off to the left, and the Light Elemental Orbs ARM, which hit all, was on the right-hand side.

*These ARMs, they are my gifts to you brave humans. Use their power to open the locks to my domain. Only a gunner can enter here, the demons have put a curse on the door,* begged Lucadia.

Sasha called out, "But our only gunner is unconscious. How is she supposed to use the ARMs to open the door, if she isn't in the state of mind to do so?" A frantic tone was in her voice.

Lucadia appeared to be counting to ten. *The ARMs will show her how. Her body will awaken with these guns, and my spell.* Suddenly, the four ARMs began to glow with an unearthly amount of energy. It began to transfer from the guns, into Sierra. Slowly, the girl got up, and the door opened.

"What happened?" she asked, "Last thing I remember was fighting that demon witch? This doesn't look like the meteor at all, where in the heck did we get taken to?"

Lyle filled his friend in on what had happened, and they went inside. There, floating before them, was a giant sea serpent. But she had an aura of power and grace about it, one that the four friends couldn't define. They knew at once that she had to be a Guardian.

*Take my powers, and use them to save the world,* the Sea Guardian begged. She became a Medium at once, and ended up in Sasha's hands. The princess thought for a little, and finally decided to switch off Iona Paua for the great Sea Guardian.

Sierra stated, "Everyone, while I was asleep, I dreamed about the Guardian of Swords. He asked me to find Time itself. If Time is indeed a Guardian, then we'll need to find it, quickly."

Sasha suddenly looked pale. "Dan Darium, Time Guardian. He is said to dwell in a desert north of Vensnia, in an old lab. Supposedly, he was doing a favor for my ancestors there, only leaving to visit his shrine when prayed to or there was trouble afoot. We must look for him there, I don't know where the shrine is, and it seems we'll have a better chance there anyway."

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

Well, Sasha can unlock the Lv 2 spells at the next town, and Jacob learns Lores with every new Guardian, borrowing it from whomever I say wields it. The others need to find theirs skills with more difficulty. The intrigue's coming soon, Dan Darium's got an interesting backstory.


	20. A Sacred Mission

****

A Sacred Mission

At Vensnia, Sasha ran up to the Magic Guild. She then turned the sixteen Crest Graphs in to get the Level 2 spells on her Crest Board. Once done, she returned to meet the others. But something was wrong with Sierra, she was sitting off in a corner, not trying to be seen. When questioned, she simply replied that this was her hometown, and she really didn't want anyone to recognize her.

They packed up, and headed north. A forest was the first obstacle, then the desert. It seemed strange, two completely opposite topographic features in such close quarters. Jacob theorized that it must be the Time Guardian's magic, protecting whatever was in the laboratory to the north.

In the middle of the desert, stood the lab. Inside, the team found plenty of devices that could be used to perform various experiments. Said experiments ranged from something as small as practical machines for everyday life, to something big like human cloning. It sent a chill down both Jacob and Sasha's spines. Lyle looked around nervously, while Sierra's stomach was doing flip-flops.

*There's no need to worry,* a voice echoed, *All of these machines were inactivated over two thousand years ago. They will not trouble you, none were for war except this one ARM.* A tall gray cat who stood on his hind legs entered. He pointed to a Pineapple Heavy ARM, which was off to one side.

"Guardian of Time! Just the creature we wanted to see. I am Sasha Vanderbuilt, a descendant of the Adlehyde family, as well as Lilka Jane Enduro. Please, help us on our mission to rid Filgaia of the demons that are trying to harm it, or all will be lost and we'll all perish," begged Sasha.

Dan Darium replied, *I cannot, my mission is to secure peace here. This shrine is the resting place of a young child, the sister of legendary hero Rudy Roughnight. She wasn't awakened along with him, and still slumbers in her stasis. I am to guard her until the day that she can awaken.*

Sasha looked at Sierra and Lyle, who were confused. "Rudy was a Holmcross, a person made of living metal. They were a little too violent, and enjoyed killing more than was necessary. In rare cases, a madness would take over their bodies, causing them to kill friend and foe alike. Anyway, the Elw used a secret weapon that was recently developed to take on demons in order to eliminate them. But, one young boy managed to survive. He was left in a state of suspended animation for a millennia, until a Dream Chaser named Zepet Roughnight found him. That man, was my ancestor, Rudy Roughnight."

*He was an experiment,* Dan Darium added, *The foster son of an infertile couple. But what records do not mention, is that he had a twin sister, created by the same scientist for the same couple. When the Holmcross were being purged, the couple decided to save their babies. Both were sealed in this very lab, the place of their births, and suspended in time until the days when they'd be welcome back into the world. Rudy awoke a thousand years later, as Sasha said, but the old man wasn't able to find his sister. Neither had names either, they were only recently created and there wasn't time to name them before the mob came to kill the twins. When Rudy found this out, he asked me to guard his sister from all harm, as he would probably never live long enough to find her. I've been doing that for over two thousand years now, only stopping in days where danger returned to Filgaia once more. I was waiting for a pure heart to take the child away, I guess you four could do it. Bring her to a town where she'll be safe.*

They continued throughout the lab, at last coming to a door. Inside, was what appeared to be a suspension pod of some type. It looked about the right size for a human infant. But when Sierra looked in to see what kind of child was in there, and what she looked like, she found it empty.

"Hey, you guys, there's nothing inside of it! Are you sure this is the right facility, and that the girl was sleeping inside of here?" she asked the Guardian, For some reason, though, she felt almost as if this place seemed familiar, as if she'd been here before. Sierra quickly dismissed that thought.

The Time Guardian exclaimed, "It can't be! When I was last here, she was sleeping peacefully in this very room. How, in only a hundred years, could something have happened?" He put his paws up to his face, shameful that he let down those who trusted him with this task.

  
Sasha sighed. "That's what you get for shirking your duties. Honestly, you're not supposed to be goofing off. Could the meteor that crashed a century ago be what had caused you to go running off, or was there a Guardian's council meeting that the humans were unaware of?"

*Correct,* Dan Darium replied, *The meteor that crashed into the sea a hundred years ago is the reason I wasn't here. I had to check up on it, all the Guardians were there. Then, I was watching what went on, trying to see if a threat to our precious balance was coming.*

"And it was, foolish creature. That was our chariot, taking us to this miserable world. We are the Metal Demons, those that went out in a separate ship in order to find more worlds to conquer. When we didn't, we tried to find the main force. And their energy trail diminishes at this planet. I take it you pathetic slaves conspired with the local denizens to defeat our leaders," a voice called out. Then, a man in black armor jumped down. Like the other three, he was pale with red eyes. But, as the armor covered most of his face and the rest of his body, not much else could be seen.

Lyle asked him, "Who are you, and what do you want with us?"

The man laughed. "I am Kaibutsu, leader of the Knights of Death. You must be the ones who have fought with my brethren. Impressive, for lower life forms such as yourselves."

  
"Who're you calling lower life forms?" inquired Sierra, "Your men just keep running away from us. We won't let demon scum like you have your way with Filgaia, prepare to die."

  
"I always loved a good challenge. You will all cower before me before this is through, begging me to sever the flesh from your bones, to cleave off your neck, anything to end your suffering," he replied. Then, the Demon Lord pulled out a sword, ready for battle.

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

Yeah, a battle next chapter!

****

Translations

Kachikina=strong will

Kaibutsu=monster


	21. When Demons Attack

****

When Demons Attack

*Humans who hold the fate of the world in your hands,* begged Dan Darium, *Take my powers to aid you in this fight. Only you can stop these fiends from destroying our home. But, please, find the lost child, and make sure she is safe and sound once more.* With those words, he transformed into a Medium. Jacob Invoked him just to learn his single Lore, Apocalypse, but planned to put Odoryuk back on right after it was done. Dan Darium may be able to stop time, but it would all be useless if the person who cast the spell had no idea what to do with himself while it was in effect.

"The foolish Guardian, he has no idea what he has gotten into. Your kind are no more than slaves, you should know your place kneeling at my feet and licking my boots. Now, I will teach you to respect your betters," Kaibutsu said. He slashed out at Sierra, who dodged with relative ease.

The gunner asked him, "Is that all you've got? I've seen better shots coming from a dead cat than you. Just try to take on the mighty Sierra Kenju." She picked up the Pineapple ARM, and fired it at the Demon Lord. Silently, she wished she could get a hold of a Bazooka or a Rail Gun, they were said to be the most powerful ARMs in existence, that could be confirmed, at least. Many rumors still existed that spoke of ARMs that existed before her time, with power she could only dream of.

Kaibutsu laughed. "You must be the girl that Kachikina cursed. I take it those fools at Baskar were able to find a way to reverse the effects. No matter, I will still be victorious. After all, you may have a strong spirit, and masterful synchronization, but you're still just a human."

He began to charge up the Darkness Spell. Sierra knew what to do, and countered with her Phase Gun. Both attacks struck each other, and began to fight for supremacy. Surprisingly, Sierra wasn't losing her edge at all, it was as if the two were equally matched in terms of power.

'How can this be?' wondered the Demon Lord, 'This mere human child, being able to hold her own against a superior being. She must have some sort of special power that I am unaware of. But what could it be? Certainly, this must be what destroyed the strike force in ancient times.' Then, something began to go through his mind, something he had never felt before. It was fear. Fear of death, fear of failure, and fear of being killed by a race that used to be no more than slaves to his kind.

Suddenly, the spells of the Phase Gun cut through Kaibutsu's magic. He was knocked back against the wall. When the Demon looked up, he saw Sierra standing over him, Kyoku on her shoulder. The ARM she was fighting with was pointed directly at his head. She could pull the trigger anytime, and end his life, even an idiot could realize that Kaibutsu was in a real bind.

"Now you know never to underestimate humans. We can be just as strong as you Demons if we put our mind to it and work hard enough. Your overconfidence has cost you your life, Demon scum," she stated, coldly. Her finger was about to move towards the trigger. Sierra hated killing, but someone who would murder all of Filgaia was someone she'd make an exception for. It was this creature who was responsible for so much pain and suffering, he had no concern for the people on the planet at all. At least Sierra possessed a code of ethics that she lived by to keep her from becoming a monster.

But before the gun went off, Kaibutsu showed her his last trick. He used his sword, and slashed her across the front. Then, he teleported off. Sierra fell to the ground, clutching her injured midsection. Never in her life had she hurt like she did at the moment. For once, she wanted to just swallow her pride, and ask for help. But the wound was too painful for her to talk. Even Kyoku's yells to try and get her to say that she'd be ok wasn't enough reason to concentrate on anything but the pain.

Luckily, Sasha could see with her own two eyes that Sierra was in pain. She stepped forward, ready to heal her. But when she removed the girl's arm from her stomach, she realized something strange. Sierra wasn't bleeding at all. In fact, except for the slash across her midsection, she looked perfectly normal. The princess decided to get a better look. What she saw, shocked her.

Lyle inquired, "Sasha, what's wrong? You look pale. Is something the matter with Sierra? Can't your magic do anything for her wounds?" He walked over, wanting to try and help the girl with Berries if magic couldn't do a thing. Lyle grabbed a Mega Berry, and squished it for its juice. Then, he placed the juice on the infected area. The wound began to close, and Sasha's magic finished the job.

The princess looked at Lyle. "You mean you didn't see it? Sierra didn't bleed from a wound of that magnitude. She's got some sort of power about her that you and I can only fathom. It's just like what was written in an old story, when my ancestor. . ." She suddenly stopped short.

"Why did you stop?" asked Jacob, "What is it about your ancestor's story that is similar to Sierra's, that would make you suddenly get pale and fail to explain the situation to the rest of us? You're usually not afraid to talk Sierra, so please tell us what is wrong. If you're sick, we'll get you a healer."

"I'm fine, Jacob, it's just that I've found something out that I don't think Sierra really wants to know about herself," she replied. The princess held something up, and the others turned to see what it was. Even Sierra careened her head, wondering what had spooked Sasha out like that.

It appeared to be a small chunk of metal, broken by a cutting tool of some sort. The angle of the cut matched the angle of the blow that had been struck against Sierra, exactly. Not that anyone could quite figure out why Sasha was spooked from just that one piece of metal.

She stated, "This is a chunk of metal that I found embedded in Sierra's body. It's not a weapon piece, it looks to be metal plating of some sort. The angle of the cut seems to suggest that it was torn off of a bigger piece when that Demon slashed her in the stomach. Sierra, I think you just might be the missing child who was sleeping in these ruins, the sister of my distant ancestor."

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

Yeah, it was kind of a no brainer. If you know what Rudy looks like, you would think his sister would be similar, and Sierra is.


	22. Explainations

****

Explanations

"How can this be?" questioned Sierra, "I'm not even human. Could those people from the caravan have been Silver Wolves, who found me here? That sure explains a lot. I don't even have birth parents to abandon me, and the people who really wanted me couldn't keep me." One tear fell down her cheek, as she thought of the only people who'd ever really cared about her. No doubt the people who'd come for her and her brother had murdered them after learning that the two of them had hidden the twins.

"I must have been a pet of that caravan then. Probably, they found you and wanted to take you in. Then, monsters or demons must have attacked, and they didn't make it. Sierra, the men in the caravan loved you too, wanted to protect you. People may have died, but they gave you a future. You've got to use the time they brought for you in order to stop those who wish to harm our world," Kyoku begged.

Sierra told her friend, "I'm going to. I've just got to work things out. You know, it's not too bad knowing about all of this. I now understand my own powers, and why I was able to handle an ARM without any difficulty at all. It's in my blood, or should I say my being." She laughed at her own joke.

Sasha looked at the others. "Well, regardless of all that has happened, we've got to get going. I have a feeling that we can find something if we visit this island north of where we found Lucaia's shrine. It's shaped like a banana peel, and is covered in forests everywhere except the beach. Something is telling me to go there, maybe it's a clue to another Guardian's shrine or a Demon hideout.

* * *

They returned to their ship, and headed towards the island in question. It looked exactly the way Sasha had described, with the beach on one of the sides of the "peel". Once they disembarked, the team began to cut their way through the forest, searching for something. But as no one had any idea what they would find, they couldn't quite figure out when they would see something of value.

Luck was with them. In the depths of the forest, they saw a small cabin. Lyle walked up to the door, and knocked. Soon, the door opened. From the look on his face, it was clear that he'd seen a girl, and she was quite pretty. This was confirmed when Sierra walked up to slap him before he said a rude comment to her. But it seemed that the gunner had caught her interest for some reason.

"I can't believe it!" she exclaimed, "After all these years of waiting, you've come here! I thought this day would never come in my lifetime." The girl had long blond hair tied in two ponytails and vibrant green eyes. She had a white blouse and a blue skirt on, as well as a red beanie hat and leather boots. A leather bag was strapped across her front, which was filled with various types of seeds.

"Excuse me, I don't think we've met. My name is Sierra, and this is my Wind Mouse Kyoku. The others are Lyle, Jacob, and Sasha. We don't mean to intrude, but we've been searching for the help of the Guardians, and Sasha wanted to come here for some reason," Sierra replied. As she spoke, she pointed to each of her friends in turn, so the girl would know exactly who she was talking about.

Sasha then asked, "Excuse me, Miss, would your name happen to be Flornina? My name is Sasha Vanderbuilt, and I'm a descendant of Lilka Enduro, daughter of Jet and Virginia Enduro. All in my family know how a girl named Florina helped them by growing berries and other items for them to use on their journeys over the Wastelands a thousand years ago. You look like how she's described in books."

The girl took notice of Sasha, and then turned back to Sierra. "Yes, my name is Florina. But it is also Mariel, the last Elw on Filgaia. I've lived over three thousand years now, and I'll continue to live until the last blade of grass, the last flower, the last leaf, is gone from Filgaia. That's why I was so keen on restoring the environment, I'd die if it was destroyed. But in my long life, I've met many people. Including the great warriors Rudy, Cecilia, and Jack. You, Miss Sierra, look just like Rudy. You've got to be his long lost twin, the one he was searching for before age began to finally fail him. I volunteered to help find her, but then the Yggdrasil incident that Virginia and Jet told me about happened, and Filgaia became a Wasteland. I was no longer able to continue my search. So I changed my name to Florina, and hid here. But where are my manners today, come inside, we'll all have lunch together and talk about the situation."

* * *

"So, that's the situation," Mariel stated, "No choice then. I've got to give you this, it'll help you greatly." She left the room, and went into the storage closet. When the Elw child returned, she was carrying two objects. One was a Medium, the other looked like an ARM. The Medium was handed to Jacob, as she could see he was Baskar, and the ARM was promptly given to Sierra.

"This is the Medium of Chapananga, Luck Guardian. Years after the final battle, it was given to me by Gallows Caradine, in order to give me some luck in the future. I figure you're his brother's descendant, so I want you to have it. Now, about the ARM," Mariel said.

Sierra asked, "What's so special about this ARM? Is it really one of the legendary ones, the ARMs that are supposedly too powerful to manufacture anymore, for fear of what people will do with it or the fact that none are powerful enough to synchronize with such a weapon?"

Mariel nodded. "This is Arc Smash, a weapon that Rudy Roughnight wielded in the old war. It was his most powerful ARM, and he left it with me when he died. His last wish was for me to give it to you when at last you awoken from your long sleep. Use it to fight the Demons, Sierra."

She thanked Mariel for this gift. The team then decided to spend the night with the young Elw. In the morning, they began to return to Baskar, in order to find an idea about where to go next.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…

Yeah, I figured if the Elw are so connected to nature, maybe their lifespans are connected to the planet as well. That's how Mariel lived that long.


	23. Dragon's Howl

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Dragon's Howl

When the team arrived back in Baskar, they held a strategy meeting. They needed to find the hideout of the Demons, and strike them down once and for all. But no one could quite figure out where they were. Unless, they were on one of the islands that was surrounded by mountains, and inaccessible by a ship of any sort. Then, they would need to find a way to fly to those places.

"I've got an idea," Lyle said, "Maybe Dr. Moro can redesign Lucrecia to fly." That response was met with both girls throwing some of the pillows in the room at his face, knowing that he wanted to ride her because of her female semblance. Lyle rubbed his nose, and shrugged.

"Well maybe history can give us wings once more. Ancient stories talk about how my ancestors rode on a flying Dragon in order to find the hideouts of Demons. Her name was Lombardia, and I'm sure she can help us out. All we've got to do is to find out where in the world her nest is," Sasha stated.

Nobody knew the answer to that. Finally, Lyle suggested heading to a town called Crescent. It had gotten its name from the crescent moon shape of its island, with rocks guarding the cove seeming to form the outline of the rest of the moon. It was considered a town of rumors, most of them turning out to be truth, maybe they'd heard something about Dragons that could help the team out.

* * *

They instantly went to the saloon, and ordered something to eat. It was then that Sierra asked the waitress, "Excuse me, Miss. Have you heard anything about a Dragon? My friends and I are searching for the legendary creature, and any leads would be greatly appreciated. We can pay for the information if you need." That surprised the team, Sierra wasn't one to just give her money away.

The woman looked surprised. "Surely you can't mean the monster that lives in the caves north of here. It's in the middle of the ocean, just south of Vensnia. You can't miss it. But please, don't go. That beast would just fry you whole, any adventurers who go to slay it never come back."

'Lombardia alright,' thought Sasha, 'She always was a powerful creature. I guess she's already woken up, with the battles upon us, or it could just be that those explorers are really starting to bother her. I guess we should go right away, and appease the Dragon. I'm sure that if I tell her my name she'll at least listen to what we have to say. If not, well at least I've got Virginia Maxwell Enduro's blood in my veins. Her skills at debating could come in handy when we're up against a Dragon.'

"I'm not scared. Let's go right away. I'm sure the Dragon can't be as bad as these people are making it out to be, usually the people that die in these fights are the local braggarts who only want to show off in front of their friends. We're all professional Silver Wolves," Sierra said. Lyle and Sasha nodded, Jacob just sat there looking uncomfortable. But one look in Sasha's eyes and he calmed down.

* * *

As luck would have it, the cave was over a natural hot spring. Steam was jetting out of the ground in many places, causing burns if anyone ever walked into it. Once, when he wasn't looking, Jacob's hand touched the boiling air. He yelped, and jumped back. Sasha had to tend to his wounds, but wasn't happy about the delay. 'Why is this boy always getting in trouble, is it because of his lack of confidence? You know, now I'm really starting to sound like my ancestor, when Jet would think of Virginia. Could it be, that I am falling in love with this young boy? As if, he's only a little whelp.'

They continued on for quite some time. But after awhile, they arrived at the deepest part of the cave. Sleeping there, was a great beast. The Dragon Lombardia was mostly white, with red and blue on various limbs. Her breathing seemed to shake the earth, even though it was the peaceful and quiet breath of a dreamer. Heck, it was louder than when most normal humans snore.

"Should you wake it?" asked Jacob, "I don't think I like the idea of this creature coming to eat me. Maybe we should go with Lyle's idea, Dr. Moro can make us a Golem that flies. It'd be so cool too, we can paint it to look like a Dragon if you want one so badly, people'll never know the difference."

"Stop being a baby Jacob. We don't need a Golem, it's impossible for them to fly. I looked over several books at Moro's lab. I was only joking about reconfiguring Lucrecia to make her fly, it was just to get a rise out of the rest of you, you know how she looks," Lyle admitted.

Suddenly, they heard a loud laugh echoing throughout the cave. When Sierra and the others turned around, they saw the Dragon had awakened. She looked from person to person, noticing that these young travelers hadn't yet brought their swords out to try and strike her down.

Sasha apologized, "We're sorry if we've disturbed your sleep, Great Lombardia. But I am Sasha Vanderbuilt, descendant of Lilka Jane Enduro, daughter of your ancient Dragoon, Virginia Maxwell. The Demons are returning to the world, and we need the help of one as powerful as you to defeat them."

Sierra sighed. "This girl must have taken a course in the art of Kiss Ass sometime in the past. She acts like she says things like this all of the time."

*Thou hast no desire to harm me?* inquired Lombardia, *Thou art truly the descendant of my Dragoon. I too can sense the foul stench of Demons returning to this world. If thou hast a heart that is pure, and a soul filled with light, then I will be willing to lend thee my strength.*

Sasha stepped forward, not afraid of anything. She waited for a minute, knowing that the Dragon was judging her reasons. Soon, Lombardia backed off once more, and flew a little higher.

"Thy heart is truly pure, thy soul speaks nothing but the truth. Very well, thou can count on me to be thy wings. Fly higher always, brave humans, aim for the sky and do not stop," Lombardia called. With that, she swooped low, and picked the four Silver Wolves up on her back. They exited the cave, flying as high as the clouds. Soon, the Dragon saw what appeared to be a fortress on an island to the south that was cut off from the rest of the sea by mountains. She began to descend, and landed before it. Wondering what it was, the friends went inside. What they saw, would shock them.

- - - -

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Teefa's Last Words…

I know my cliffhangers are evil. But I like them as a device. They add more mystery and intrigue. We've finally found a Demon's fort, what'll happen next?


	24. Trapped

Trapped

The place had more experiments along its walls than Sierra's birthplace. But these seemed to be of more malevolent intentions, all of them had something to do with war. In fact, Sierra managed to find an old discarded Bazooka in the corner. Apparently, the Demons had thought it was useless, and threw the ARM out. But for a woman born to hold a gun and who'd spent the last two years wielding one, it was a welcome addition to her pack. Almost as welcome as the Magnum Fang attack Lyle learned from a statue in the laboratory's outer sanctums, and the Phaser Zap he'd learned from its brother.

"Let's get going," ordered Sierra, "The demons aren't going to just wait for us." She took off, with the team at her heels. It felt good, to have these people around her. After all this time, Sierra'd come to realize that these people would never leave her. They were her friends, and she could trust them.

Soon, the team arrived at what appeared to be a training ground. Kogatana stood there, ready for a fight. He brandished his daggers, and licked one with his tongue. It made Sasha and Jacob start to gag, while Sierra and Lyle just rolled their eyes. No one was impressed with him.

"Foolish humans, you will never defeat me. You will die by my sacred blades, just as you deserve. Now, fight me and die like good little servants," he stated. A wicked gleam came over his red eyes, as he looked at Sierra. It made her nervous, what was wrong with this wacko Demon?

She asked him, "Do you have to stare like that? Don't you know that you're looking at a lady right here, and a lady who doesn't want to be stared at like that. I've seen men act like you before, and I know how to deal with it. All you do is punch them where the sun don't shine, and they leave you alone." She gave him a look that said that she wasn't afraid to do something like that if it came to it.

Kogatana took a step forward, all while looking into Sierra's eyes. "You have no idea of your existence, or you are mistaken. Those eyes tell me everything, you are a Demoness. Come, dear Sierra, come with me. Join us in our quest to conquer Filgaia. You know the people will never accept one of us, those who they see as Demons, even if they don't remember the times when we were their overlords. I will talk to Lady Shihaisha on your behalf, and Lord Kaibutsu too. They will be glad to add another Demon fighter to the force, especially one as powerful as you. Then, you can become my bride."

"NEVER!" screamed Sierra, "I will never join you. I am no Demon. Granted, I'm not a human either, but I am still not Demon. My people were created to destroy the demons, and by the Guardians, that's what I'm going to do." She tried to fire Arc Smash, but something was wrong. Sierra found that her body was paralyzed, although no one had laid a hand on her. What was going on?

"Surprised? You should be. I have the power to freeze the body of anyone I want, without even touching or casting a spell. All I have to do is to think them frozen, and they are. Now then, we will go and leave these weak humans behind. Really, you nearly had me going there, what with your talk on being of a race created to fight us," Kogatana laughed. Before the others could stop him, he picked Sierra up with his left arm. Then, he teleported away, taking the lady gunner with him, and leaving the others wondering how in the world they were ever going to be able to track him down and free her.

* * *

Sierra was frightened. Kogatana hadn't bothered to take her to a jail cell or anything like that. Instead, he'd brought her to his own quarters. Fear filled her heart, he was planning to rape her. The man was crazy and desperate enough to do something like that to the young Holmcross.

Kogatana said, "Now just hold still for a little while, I'm not going to hurt you. You should feel honored, you will soon be the wife of one of the most powerful Demons in existence. I know I'm not Lord Kaibutsu, but I'm still strong. One moment, just put this on." He picked up a circlet from the counter, and began placing it over the woman's head. Then, he pushed a few buttons on the side.

Sierra began to feel weak and sleepy. "What are you doing to me? This circlet, what in the name of the Guardians is it? I can tell it's no normal piece of jewelry, you've enchanted it."  


"Correct," the Demon replied, "This circlet will give me complete control over your mind. Soon, you will be nothing more than my mindless servant, you'll do whatever I ask. Including, agree to become my wife. Relax, it won't hurt you one little bit. You'll feel a pinch, and then it's all over. Your senses will be dulled, they will only respond if I tell them to." He let out a wicked laugh, and looked over his prisoner. Her eyes were wide and full of fear, just the way he liked it.

But the Demon hadn't been counting on one thing. Kyoku was still in Sierra's sack. Before Kogatana could imput the final command into the ring, the one that would make her his slave, the Wind Mouse jumped out at him, and bit him on the nose. Kogatana shrieked in pain, giving Kyoku just enough time to bite Sierra back to her senses. The girl then pulled off the headband.

"Thanks for the invitation, but I think I'll just take a rain check on that. See ya' later, gotta go rejoin the others," she stated. Then, Sierra and Kyoku ran out of the room.

Kogatana vowed, "I will make you mine, Lady Sierra. Your Demon's blood will eventually lead you back to me. I always get what I want, and what I want is you." He let out a demonic laugh, that rang throughout the entire corridor, startling all who inhabited it.

* * *

Lyle was excited when finally Sierra made it back to the others. She told them exactly what had happened. The swordsman then took the girl in his arms, just to make sure that she was real. "Oh, Sierra, I was so worried. Please, I never want to see you hurt. I know you think of me as a playboy, but I've come to realize that I am in love with you, and want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Lyle," she replied, "I don't know what to say. I've never seen this side of you before. Maybe I can learn to love you too. But, please give me time. Knowing your true feelings, I am willing to think about it. Now's not the time anyway. We've got to stop the Demons before all is lost." She held up her Arc Smash, and pointed it down the corridor, telling them that she was ready to fight.

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

Tee hee, the demon doesn't know what he's dealing with. Well, unlike Sigfried, he wasn't on Filgaia during the Demon War. Remember, this team was checking on a different quadrant in the universe. He thinks red eyes all equal Demons. And I am also beginning to plan for another story. All about Jet and Virginia's children on their own adventure. I've just got to fix the storyline up. All I know is that it focuses on an ancient prophecy, Cecille from A Mother's Legacy is returning and toting a rifle, Lilka's got Duel Pistols, Ashley has a machine gun, and Leon Vanderbuilt will start out as Lilka's rival. Still need an enemy.


	25. Empress of Death

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Empress of Death

The four warriors ran down the corridor, looking for the Demon's Central Command. Along the way, Lyle managed to master the Fast Draw Cosmic Nova, while Sierra discovered a Rail Gun in one of the Demons' armories. It was the most powerful gun she had, next to Rudy Roughnight's Arc Smash. Sasha was testing all of her Level 2 Crest Sorcery spells, most notably Saint, the light elemental attack. Jacob had finished mastery of his last Lore, the Gold Hammer. By his reckoning, they had discovered all of the Guardians in existence, the only thing to do now was to awaken the High Guardians.

Suddenly, the team found themselves in a laboratory. Inside a suspention pod was what appeared to be a woman with long golden hair and a gold shine to her skin. Her eyes, although gold, still gave off an air of malice like that of the demons. And the fact that her fingernails were long enough to look like claws wasn't a very welcome sight. The woman was also very much naked, covering her bosom with only her crossed hands. Sierra and Sasha had to restrain Lyle from staring at her.

"Sorry," he said, "Just a little bit of a relapse. Besides, I was trying to figure out why a woman would be kept in a test tube like this. It just doesn't seem right to me, it's almost as if this girl is an experiment of some sort that the demons are working on. But where did they take her from?"  


"Have some respect, foolish humans. That is the Lady Shihaisha you're talking about. She was injured in our crash landing on this wretched world, and has spent the last century recovering. Why do you think it took us so long to begin our invasion, we had to wait for her to be at least semi-conscious," a voice echoed throughout the chamber. Then, Kobushi entered the room, malice in his eyes.

Sierra charged up the Arc Smash, and shot at the device. But nothing happened, the shot was deflected. She tried again at the instrument panel with the same result. As she wondered what was going on with her ARM, and why it wouldn't fire, Kobushi let out a devilish laugh.

He stated, "Human child, that won't help your cause any. You see, a powerful barrier has been placed around my lady, which can only be broken by a great power. Let's see if you can call forth an entity powerful enough to counter the magic of the Demon Race. I'm not telling you what though, no need to help you any more than I already am. Else Lord Kaibutsu will have my head."

Sierra was angered. "Do you think I care?! You are going to die, right here and now, Demon. The barrier might protect the instruments in this lab, but I don't think that It'll save you from my gun. Feel the fury of the Holmcross, created to kill Demons, destined to wield the ARMs." With that, she fired the Arc Smash once more. This time, though, it hit home, knocking Kobushi across the room.

"So, this is how it ends," Kobushi whispered, "A mere human child killing me. Forgive me, my brethren, I have failed. Bring Lady Shihaisha back to life, and avenge me on these puny beings." With that, he died. But just then, his energy left his body, and merged with that of the woman in the tube.

"What in the name of the Guardians was that?! You just stole the soul of your own servant. Why would you do such a thing, now you're down a warrior?" inquired Jacob, stuttering all the way. He backed up into Sasha, and felt her arms around him. It made the priest feel quite funny.

Sasha yelled, "Don't freak out you idiot! I have no time to be babysitting for little wimps like you. Stand up and face that witch with the rest of us, or go home! I didn't hire you to stand around and begin to freak out!" She then realized that she sounded just like Jet Enduro, and began to blush. That was just the kind of thing he used to do when Virginia Maxwell was in danger. Sasha pushed the youth away before he got the impression that she was in love with him or something. That would lead to some pretty awkward situations between the duo, and maybe the rest of the team as well.

Shihaisha spoke directly to their minds. *Simple, I absorbed his lifeforce, and used it to strengthen my own. With every Demon you kill, you give me their powers. So no matter how hard you fight, you will only make me stronger. Surrender now, and I will allow you to live. Granted, you will be no more than my slaves, but at least you won't be dead. So, humans, what's it going to be, life or death?*

"We don't make deals with demons," stated Sierra, "We're going to fight our way out of this. And once you're revived, this little barrier can no longer protect you from my ARMs, and our other weapons. Meaning, we'll be free to shoot you up as much as we want. So why don't you surrender to us?"

"Impudent humans! How dare you mock a great Demoness like me?! Now, you will pay for your transgression. May your deaths mark a new future for Demon Kind," Shihaisha responded. Then, she began to cast a spell that none of the Silver Wolves had ever seen before.

Sasha demanded, "Someone do something! I don't know how I am going to counter this one. The magic is way beyond the level that I know. If I attempt to cast a counter spell, the consequences might just be deadly. Sierra, try using the Arc Smash to blow the spell to smithereens."

Sierra shook her head. "Sorry Sash, I'm out of bullets. This ARM isn't going to fire until I can get back to a shop in town and reload. But maybe my Rail Gun can do something for us."  


"Pathetic," a woman's voice rang out, "You can't do anything right Kenju. Watch a master fight off this demon." Then, in came Selene and Robert. The female Silver Wolf pulled out her Trinity 749A8, and fired. But the gun, being of such shoddy workmanship, broke apart instantly.

It looked like the end for our heroes right then and now. But suddenly, a man of about forty ran into the room. He had light brown hair and eyes, and was wearing a white button down shirt, jeans, a pair of leather boots, and a leather belt. The man held up an Exodus Orb, and activated it. Then, the team found themselves on the desert plains outside the factory. He then used a Teleport Orb to take them all to the town of Vensnia. Sierra looked around, and tried to hide in case the villagers recognized her.

"Do not be afraid Sierra. I can see you've made good use of your presents. Maverick, would you say the same of Kyoku?" asked the man, indicating to something in his backpack.

Just then, a pure black Wind Mouse came out, and sat on his shoulders. He had an expression on his face of pure joy, just like the one a parent wore when their child succeeded. "Of course she has, she's done far beyond my expectations, especially when it comes to keeping the girl out of trouble."

This shocked the gunner and her friend. Why were these two men talking about them? How did they connect to the pasts of two orphans, found in a wrecked caravan seventeen years ago?

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

Well, I thought saving their identities for later would be much better. A full chapter on the explanations. Just realized I hadn't used them in awhile, and needed to reintroduce the rival. Then, get her in a little bit of trouble, and it adds some humor. Martina from Slayers is always having problems like this.


	26. Daddy Dearest

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Daddy Dearest

"I'm sorry," said Sierra, "But I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting before. So how in the name of the Guardians do you know my name? And the name of my Wind Mouse companion. Just who are you anyway?" She was dangerously close to bringing up her ARM, and probably would do it too if the man stated it was because he had been spying. Sierra didn't quite appreciate stalkers.

"It's me, Sierra. You were just a babe when I last saw you, that explains why you can't recognize me. But I just want you to understand my motives, I never intended to hurt you. I wanted to plant the seeds to help you find yourself, as I knew I'd never be able to tell you the truth of your origins by myself. This town was perfect for the operation, as it was so close to your birthplace," he stated.

Kyoku inquired, "And just what is that supposed to mean? You're not making any sense old man. Where do you know Sierra and me from, and why are you helping us out. I don't think you came to save us out of charity. If you don't tell, why I'll bite your finger right off!" That caused a laugh to erupt throughout the group, they all knew that a Wind Mouse wasn't capable of inflicting that much damage.

Maverick smiled. "There now, my daughter. You have sure grown up a powerful little creature. This big dufus often forgets to mention the details, but he's got a good heart. It was Domanick who found Sierra in the old ruins to the north, Domanick who brought her to this village so she could grow up safely, and Domanick who provided her with the necessary tools to complete her journey. I found it much harder than him to say goodbye, as you are the only child of mine that survived the fire in the northern village seventeen years ago, and my wife was killed as well. But I knew Sierra'd need your help."  


"Father!" exclaimed Sierra, "Is it really you?! But why in the heck did that diary say that you found me in the ruins of a caravan. Couldn't you just say that you'd found me in the lab, that would have made my life much easier. I could have gone up their easily, found the truth, and returned to living a normal life."

"No, it would not work. If I came out and told you that you were a Holmcross, you would just think the diary was misleading, and throw it away. Besides, you are a gunner by birth, you need to be out her with me on a journey across Filgaia. But you were just too small, so I decided to leave you here, hoping that circumstance would bring you out here with me. Luckily, it did, and now your powers are needed to slay the last of the Demons before all is lost," Domanick replied, looking into her red eyes.

Lyle was about to go into a speech about how bad it is to hurt a lady, when Sierra shushed him. She knew he only wanted to defend her honor, but it didn't bother her at all. Domanick's explanations seemed to justify his actions a little, he was worried about her the whole time she had been gone.

Domanick asked, "Can you ever forgive me, Sierra? I just wanted what was best, I was afraid that if I told you, you'd shy away from me. It would hurt the both of us much more than if you'd grown up hating me for what I had done for you. Especially since I would never have known you as my child. It hurts too much when the people you love leave your life. Do you want to hear my story?"  


Sierra shrugged. "Not like I've gotten anything better to do with my time. There's no new leads on Demon hideouts, and I think my rival is still a little bit incapacitated." She gestured towards Selene, who was still trying to fix her shotgun with the super glue and Dragon Fossile scraps. Robert was glaring at Jacob, who had begun to giggle at the sight of it, but was then smashed over the head with Sasha's wand. Lyle was just looking at the sight, and smiling. Sierra sighed, her friends were all a bunch of wackos.

"I was married before I became a Silver Wolf," Domanick admitted, "I found you on my first mission. You see, I was living in Sarian with my wife and our infant daughter. But just then, fire swept through the whole town, destroying it. My wife and our baby girl died. I then heard rumors about a factory to the north, and decided to see if we could salvage building materials from it. With me, I took my best friend Maverick, and his daughter Kyoku. At the factory, though, I found you. You were just sleeping there, a tiny babe wrapped in a dirty blanket. I thought you a sort of miracle, I could bring you home and raise you myself. But just then, I saw an ancient book that told of your origins. The writer was a frantic young woman who was begging any explorer to save her child and give her a home. Instantly, I was torn, you deserved a home, but how was someone like me supposed to explain what you really were. Then, I made the decision to write a fake journal, making it seem like I'd been traveling much longer than I really had, and talk of how I found you and Kyoku. Maverick had decided you might need a companion, so he and I ended up sending Kyoku with you. Hoping that I was doing what was right, I left the two of you along with the diary and ARM in the Vensnia saloon. I knew you'd be curious, and eventually find your identity on your own."

"I forgive you, Daddy. Just, why did you call me Sierra. When I talked to Dan Darium, he said that neither my brother nor I were named. So what gave you the idea to call me Sierra?" she asked.

Domanick replied, "Sierra was the name of my daughter. I was hoping to begin anew, with you as my child. Of course, that wasn't meant to be, I had to leave you in the town."

Sierra walked up to him, and gave him a hug. "I understand, and I love you dearly. You cared enough about me to let me go when you felt you wouldn't be able to provide for me. Even though you wanted to bring a daughter into your life once more. Don't worry, I am going to go and defeat these Demons, and fulfill my destiny. And I'm not going to go crazy either, because I know that there are people in this world who love me and want me to return with them when this is all over."

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

Cheezy and dorky, I know. I wanted to explain Domanick's motives, and not make him sound like a total creep. He didn't want to hurt her, just like when Werner never returned to even tell his wife what had happened, (WA3 spoiler for those who only played the first one and or two) he probably thought that her not knowing would hurt less than realizing that all that was left of her husband was a memory that came back as a hologram.


	27. Love & Desire

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Love & Desire

The team headed out from Vensnia, towards the town of Lovelia. It lay far north of Mariel's home, and just east of Rigdobrite's crater, on an island. Lovelia was often called the town of romance. Since the team hadn't gone there yet, they wondered if they might find information on a new Demon's hideout. But once they arrived, things stopped going according to the plan, and the trouble began.

A crowd separated the team in the central marketplace. Sasha found herself and Jacob had ended up together, but Sierra, Lyle, and Kyoku were missing. Jacob was, as usual, a tad freaked out, and began to mutter and worry. His companion, however, was getting pretty frustrated with his actions.

"Honestly Jacob," Sasha began, "We're never going to find anyone by standing around and making the situation much worse than it really is. You're complaining isn't helping one little bit. Let's get going, if we search around town, we'll eventually find out where they went." She began walking, well aware that her heart was skipping a beat. Was it love, or could it just be a trick of the mind? Even if it was love, Sasha surely couldn't tell him how she felt, she wasn't very open with her feelings. It came from being royalty, and having people who didn't see the real her all around her for her entire life.

'How can she be so cold? I guess she has a reason. I am always complaining about things. After all, I'm just a failure. My brother is so much better than me, Father always loved him more too. If only I was as strong as Marco, then maybe I could be of more help to the others. I desire nothing more than to prove myself to them, and to all those who never even tried to help me learn my powers and heritage, thinking that Marco would be all they need. I mean, what if he's attacked while I'm away, and killed? Then what do they do, they'll have a priest that they can't rely on to lead them. I'm a total failure,' thought Jacob.

Unbeknownst to them, the Goddess and Wolf Idols were glowing. Love and Desire were beginning to grow, and it wouldn't be long before these two great Guardians were free from their prisons. But a push was needed to complete the transformation. Sasha had to admit her feelings for Jacob, and Jacob had to make his desires known. Now all that remained was giving them that little push.

As luck would have it, a monster was attracted towards the light of the Guardians. He followed the two from the shadows, until they arrived at a deserted street near the back of town. Then, he struck out at the sorcerers. It appeared to be a sort of lizard, on all fours, with ugly black spikes going down his back. Red eyes were on his face, and his skin was a sort of greenish color. And he looked hungry.

The creature said, "Foolish humans, give me the Guardians. Their powers will grant me all I ever wanted in life. You have no need of such powerful beings, so you might as well just hand them over. Else I will have to kill you." His voice sounded raspy, and his s's seemed to go on forever.

Sasha picked up her wand and pointed it at the monster. "Never! We will never let a monster such as yourself have the Guardians' power. You've just earned the enmity of two people whose tribes have worshiped these entities for thousands of years. We are their protectors, and will fight to the death if we have need to in order to keep them out of the wicked hands of Demons such as yourself."

Jacob realized this was his chance to prove himself. He felt his desire growing, as he charged at the monster. Then, he cast the Lightnin spell on the enemy. As these monsters were weak to Lightning, he was greatly wounded. But he was not down yet, and struck out at Jacob with all of his fury. The young priest couldn't dodge in time, and was knocked backwards, greatly wounded by the attack.

"Jacob!" screamed Sasha, "You're dead now, you Demon! Nobody does that to the one that Sasha Vanderbuilt III loves!" She then cast the High Spark spell, in order to give him a greater wound.

Suddenly, the glow of the Guardian Idols got brighter, and they shattered. Sasha could see the image of a winged woman descend before her. She had blond hair and blue eyes, and wore red armor over a white dress. Jacob spied a purple and red werewolf standing off to his right. They knew at once that these two had to be Raftina, Guardian of Love, and Luceid, Guardian of Desire.

*You have found the love in your heart, after searching for so long. Take my powers, descendant of my former callers. Always fight for what you believe in, no matter what others might say to the contrary. And never lose that light in your heart that love has given to you,* said Raftina. She then transformed into a Medium, and landed in the princess's outstretched palm. Sasha Invoked her instantly.

Luceid stated, *A strong desire burns within you. It longs to fight against these creatures, to prove your worth to this world. Such a different once from those who have called on me before, although still tuned towards the battlefield. If you follow your desires, you will eventually find what you are looking for." Then, she too became a Medium, and Jacob Invoked her as well.

The monster was shocked. "How can this be?! Mere humans calling forth the most powerful of all the Guardians?! Surely they can't be that strong with those frail bodies of theirs."

"You're wrong!" exclaimed Sasha, "Humans are indeed strong! We just have a different kind of power and strength than monsters. You will die, right now."  


"Our power comes from within, rather than outside of us. Appearances can be deceiving. I never believed I could be so strong, not until I started to fight, but now I know my own power. Never again will I doubt myself, or my friends," Jacob added.

The two began to charge up their magic. Jacob's Plasma Tap and Sasha's Hi-Spark collided with the monster at once, and fried him to a crisp. They smiled at one another.

Jacob whispered, "I never knew you cared about me like that. I thought you hated me."

Sasha shook her head. "No, I was always just worried. My ancestor was the same way, he never could tell the girl he loved how he really felt because of his pride and his gruff way of speaking. Now let's go find the others, they're probably really worried about the two of us by now."

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

Well, get them out of the way, and then we can get on with the story. Two a chapter, by having the people divide into groups and meet a challenge of some sorts. Then they unleash the Guardians with their emotions.


	28. Courage & Hope

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Courage & Hope

Sierra, Kyoku, and Lyle were not too far from their friends, heck they were even heading for the same slums. Not that anyone realized it. They had fewer problems, perhaps because no one was whining. Kyoku was sleeping in Sierra's bag, so she couldn't find a reason to complain. And the other two were the types to just bear with any problem that came their way without a complaint. Not that silent complaining wasn't part of the modus operendi, especially when they were having problems with one another.

A young woman had just come down the street, and Lyle had went to speak with her. He talked endlessly about her hair, her eyes, and how she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on. It ended only when Sierra knocked him over the head with her sword hilt, and dragged him away.

'Why does Lyle have to be so stubborn?' wondered Sierra, 'He told me he loves me, then just flirts with whatever girls come our way. I don't know what the real Lyle is like, is he the flirtatious playboy, or the man who admitted his feelings for me. No, I must not let myself fall for him. Even though I look human, I'm an artificial being. I can't fall in love, I can't be just like everyone else. Too bad I wasn't normal, I don't even know where I belong anymore. Can a person like me really have a reason to hope for the future?'

'Sierra, I'm sorry. All I can do is hide behind this mask. I'm just scared, scared of you not liking me. All I ever wanted was to be loved by another, but I've been too accustomed to rejection. I want to stop this habit of mine, I want to live the rest of my life with you. But I'm just scared, I'll never be able to get the courage up to settle down and spend all my time with only you,' thought Lyle.

The Dragon and Lion Idols began to glow. As they were in their bags, the sight wasn't noticed. It did, however, managed to awaken a sleeping Kyoku, causing her to jump up and land on Sierra's shoulder. But it was not yet time for the two to awaken, things still needed to get done. Sierra had to find out that there could be hope for her own future, just like Rudy had done over two thousand years ago. And Lyle would have to leave his old ways behind, and find the courage to venture out into the true recesses of his mind. Until those two forces could unite, the Guardians would continue to slumber.

Just then, a wicked laugh lit up the air. Then, Kachikina appeared. She had heard their argument, and sought to use it to her advantage. Get Lyle to fall in love with her, or at least flirt a little bit, and he and Sierra would fight. Kogatana could take the girl if he so desired. The boy, however, would be killed. She said, "Hey there handsome. No, I haven't come for a battle. I saw how well you fought against the many creatures in our lab, and was very impressed. How about you leave the little girl over there behind, and let a real woman take you. I'd make a very good bride for any man, especially one as handsome as you."

Usually, this would be the time when Lyle got hit over the head by Sierra for flirting with another woman. But this time, things went differently. The young swordsman simply shook his head, refusing the offer that Kachikina had given him. "No, I have no desire to go with a woman like you. Evil rots your soul, maybe you're beautiful on the outside, but I see none inside. I'd never leave Sierra for one as wicked as you. So why don't you just go back to your little cave, and wait for us to come and see you. Besides, if I keep going after every girl I see, I'll never be able to enjoy life the way I want too."

"How dare you!" exclaimed Kachikina, "I am the prettiest woman alive, even Lady Shihaisha can't hold a candle to me! That girl is an ugly little creature, and she's just as evil as I. How else would you explain her red eyes, she's a Demon like me. And no Demon can ever be good."

"I am no Demon. My name is Sierra Kenju, and I am a Holmcross. You know the strike force that first made contact with Filgaia? Well, my people were created to fight with them. We were a little crazy, and ended up being destroyed out of pure fear. But I survived in a state of suspended animation until this day. I am more human than Demon, I am a being of Filgaia! I can love and I can have a future, just like the rest of my friends. You tell all lies, only I know what's truly in my heart," responded Sierra.

Suddenly, the Lion and Dragon Idols shattered. A lion clad in golden armor stood before Lyle, while a Dragon with golden scales was flying right above Sierra. Both Justine and Zephyr stared at their callers, knowing very well what all of this meant. The battle needed to be joined, before all was lost.

Justine stated, *Boy, you have found the courage inside to break the chains that bound you. You let go that what you had been before, and allowed your feelings for the girl to see the truth. My power is yours to borrow for this battle, always use it to bring justice to the world that you see before you, no matter what happens." With that, the Guardian of Courage began to transform into a Medium. He flew right into Lyle's hands, and the young swordsman Invoked him in place of Equitess.

Zephyr took notice of Sierra, and smiled. *You, you are the sister of my old caller. I can sense the same power coming from you as I did from him. Just like your brother, I can see the hope you have to live as a normal human being, despite your true origins are found in a lab. Take my powers as your reward, and destroy this threat to our home.* He too then became a Medium. Then, the Guardian of Hope floated over to the lady gunner, and landed into her hands. She took off Rigdobrite for him.

"Even with those Guardians, you still won't win," threatened Kachikina, "I am all powerful, just like my Lady Shihaisha. Now, die like good little rats." She began to charge up a spell in order to kill them. From the looks of things, it seemed to be the Darkness spell.

"Arc Smash, smite my enemies," screamed out Sierra.

Lyle added, "My sword will be wet with your blood. Magnum Fang."

The two attacks hit the Demoness head on. She couldn't take both blasts, and was knocked backwards. "Lady Shihaisha, I am sorry. But please, promise me that you'll destroy the humans." Then, she died. Her energy left her, much like what happened to Kobushi.

"Shihaisha took it," said Sierra, "She'll absorb all of her warriors, regardless of where they fall. We have to find the others quickly, and destroy the demons once and for all. Else all will be lost."

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

Two more demons to kill before the empress herself can die. Sure, we still have two Fast Draws to learn as well. And my map has two more unmarked dungeons that I can place. So I don't have to worry if this thing leads to the final battle, I can always do one skill a dungeon.


	29. The Arena

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The Arena

In the southern tip of the continent where Rigdobrite's crater stood, was a place called The Arena of Challenge. Those who wished to enter must pay a fee of 1,000 Gella, and prove that they can handle the battles by partaking in a test fight. In that fight, the team would have to deal with a monster that was harder than the normal ones they faced, but not yet at the level of the ones in the arena itself.

Sierra had taken her friends there in order to train a little bit more for their fight with the Demons. The management was rolling all over the floor with laughter, he didn't see how such slim youngsters could defeat the arena's terrors. But they steamrollered over the entrance exams, and were given a pass to take part in the real challenge. Which they did the second Sasha had finished checking out their injuries.

"Now remember," Sierra warned them, "This is a fight to the death. Just because it is a sporting event, doesn't give you the right to slack off and think everything'll be alright. These people don't care which side dies, as long as someone sheds blood at the end of the round. So keep your eyes open, and make sure not to let your guard down. We can't stand to be without a fighter or two in this mission."

They entered the stadium, where the first monster came at them. It would be the easiest, but still harder than the entrance exams. The creature was a giant wild cat with crazy red eyes, and short, course hairs to make up its fur. Silver claws were on each paw, and it wasn't afraid to jump at its prey. It eyed Sierra and here team, licking its lips in anticipation to the meal it would be getting.

But it didn't come to that. Lyle started up with Divide Shot, which was immediately followed up by a shot from Sierra's Arc Smash, and the Hi-Flame and Napalm hit spells. It wasn't down yet, and attacked with its fangs. Sierra felt it biting into her arm, and wanted it off. She grabbed her Rail Gun, and shot the great cat point blank. The creature was knocked backwards, lying dead against the wall.

"Amazing. These fighters are incredible. The ring was made for them to fight in, their power is the supreme master here. Will they try another battle in the Arena of Challenge?" asked the MC.

Sierra called back, "Sure we will, we're not afraid of this place. We need to train harder, and the best way to do that is by fighting the most powerful monsters that you can find in the world. So, what's next on our list?" She aimed her ARM at the gate where monsters exited from, as two beady yellow eyes stared back at her from behind the grated fence. It looked hungry as well, hungry for human flesh.

* * *

Sasha was breathing hard. "I can't believe we managed to go for ten whole rounds in that place. With all of those powerful monsters. Maybe our skills are getting much better than we thought, with all of our conquests. But by the Guardians, my arm is really starting to bother me about now."

"Mine hurts too," Jacob replied, "That last one clawed me after knocking me down to the ground and prepared to kill me. I was lucky that Sasha came along, and managed to kill the beast, or I'd be dead about now." He smiled at the woman he was in love with, knowing that she would always be there for him.

'Hey! I got my arm nearly bitten off by that first monster, and you don't hear me complaining. Why do humans have to be so nitpicky about these things. Maybe there is some good in being laboratory made, I don't have to worry about such things,' thought Sierra, as she surveyed her friends.

The MC yelled, "Congratulations to Sierra Kenju and her team. They have just won an Ultimate Prize pack which includes an Exodus Orb, a Teleport Orb, a ten pack of Mini Carrots, a ten pack of Potion Berries, a five pack of Full Carrots, a five pack of Mega Carrots, and a Gella Card. Thank you for taking part in the contest today. We hope to see you here in the Arena of Challenge once again."

Suddenly, a wicked laughter echoed throughout the room. "You think these humans are all powerful just because they conquered your monsters. Well, how about they handle something much stronger than that." Then, Kogatana leaped from the rafters on the ceiling, and landed before the warriors. He eyed Sierra first, as if to say he hadn't given up on making her his bride. She pulled out her ARM.

"You'll never take me," the Holmcross stated, "I'm not going to go with you. Go back to your slime hole and find a bride from there. But try to touch me again, and I'll shoot you dead with this Arc Smash." Kyoku jumped on her shoulder, showing support for her friend in this battle.

"What a feisty young lady you are. Too bad I have to dull those senses in order to make you mine, your energy would be really good. Now then, I just wanted to give you an invitation, my sweet Sierra, an invitation to the laboratory on the island north of the Three Way Shrine. When you arrive, there's no way you can refuse my offers, and you will finally become my loyal wife," he sneered.

Sierra yelled, "Go take a long walk off a short peer, Demon scum. We'll come to this lab, but we won't be making any deals as to my marriage. If you can't get it through your thick head that I don't date guys like you, then you'll just have to live a very miserable life without love."

Kogatana looked at her. "I don't care about love, we are incapable of feeling such emotions. But what I do care about is power, and your power and soul have interested me. Demons need to breed too, and we only want the strongest Demonesses for our wives. Your power would help me to create such strong children. I will see you at the laboratory, where our wedding will be held." He then teleported away, leaving the team to stand around and stare at one another.

"It's probably a trap," Lyle stated, "That guy really wants to take Sierra."  


"I know Lyle, it is a trap. But we can break out of it, just like we broke out at their other lab. Remember, if we stick together, we can do anything. So, let's get going to this laboratory," Sierra said, while looking at the spot where Kogatana had stood.

The others agreed to leaving right away, not knowing what other plans the Demons might have for the people of Filgaia. So after collecting their reward from the MC, the team left the arena and saddled up Lombardia. Then, they flew to the island that Kogatana had told them about, and landed once more. A building was standing there, and it definitely had the look of a Demon facility.

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…  
  
Well, both WA1 and WA3 had a cool place to go to win prizes. So I decided to give it a try with my own. Besides, had to introduce Kogatana's plan somehow. As well as put in an Exodus and Teleport Orb It was either this or Millennium Puzzles, which I couldn't design to save my life. And I don't need a color argument, it took me how long to tell ma that the colors are red not brown, blue not purple, yellow not orange, and green not gray. We were forever confusing one another when we tried to solve them.


	30. Kogatana's Challenge

****

Kogatana's Challenge

Kogatana met them almost as soon as they entered. His eyes were full of determination, surely Sierra would be his now. She, however, had different plans, and shot him with her simple Handgun. It was a message to say she wasn't interested, that he ought to look elsewhere for a bride. Not that it convinced the Ninja Demon in any way, if anything it increased his determination to snag her.

"Now then, my lovely," he whispered, "You and I are above these foolish humans in terms of power. I will give you whatever you want, just join me and be my bride. You can have money, power, be a general in the Lady Shihaisha's army. Just marry me, and I will get it for you, sweet Sierra."

"No thanks, I'm not interested. I told you before, my kind was created to fight the Demons in the old war. We may resemble them, but that's only because captured Demons were the subjects for the whole experiment, it was through studying them that the human and Elw scientists were able to find a way to create my race. So, I can't be your bride, sorry to disappoint you," Sierra stated.

His wicked laughter was so loud, that Kyoku hid in her friend's backpack. The Demon said, "You are quite the disagreeable woman. But you know I can claim your soul in the same way I did before. And this time, I'll know to do something about that horrible mouse first, say put her in a cage until there's no going back. For once you drink of my potion of servitude, I will have control over you for all eternity." He continued his insane laugh, and the whole team began to back off a little bit.

Sasha looked at Jacob, signaling his attention. "He's a happy little nutcase, isn't he? There must be some way of keeping his greedy paws off of Sierra, say a little Saint and Super Nova to the heart." She had just named the light elemental spell on her Crest Board, as well as the more powerful spell that had been granted to Jacob in the time he'd practiced with Iona Paua.

"Yeah," the Baskar replied, "That ought to shut him up. Mostly because he'll be dead as well." The youth chuckled at his own joke, and smiled at his beloved. Of course, no one could see what was so funny, and the human, Holmcross, Wind Mouse, and Demon were all sweat dropping.

"You guys are weird. Anyway, we're fighting if you don't want to leave us be. All we need is to stop this plot, if you just stand aside and let us kill the Lady Shihaisha, and Lord Kaibutsu, you can live in peace on Filgaia. Don't you know, the Lady was stealing the power and life from those of her mortally wounded warriors? If you want to live, let us get by and stop her plans," Lyle told him.

Kogatana yelled, "I will never yield. All you fools will die. Except, of course, the beautiful Sierra, she will be mine before the night is through." Then, he pulled out his two daggers, and faced the four Silver Wolves. In turn, each brought out their own weapons, ready to fight to the death to stop him.

Kogatana jump attacked, using his daggers to spear Lyle, seeing that he seemed to have a sort of 

crush on Sierra. The Demon blamed him for the woman's unwillingness to join him. Lyle, in return, hit him with a Divide Shot. Sierra followed up with Arc Smash, while the sorcerers used their most powerful light spells. That was when Kogatana got mad. He began to cast a spell to kill all of them in one hit. It was able to knock down Jacob, but Sasha had already begun to cast Hi-Revive on him.

Lyle began thinking about that attack. 'He cast it with knives, but maybe I can put that power into a sword. Then, I can stop him in one fell swoop.' With that, a new Fast Draw hint was acquired. On the first shot, it went off, casting the Void spell. This instant death attack hit Kogatana, knocking him down as well. The Demon fell near the wall, his body already near death, and cried out in agony.

"Why," he wondered, "Why does it have to end this way? I was all powerful, I had all the abilities that were needed to make my goal. The girl was almost my bride, why do I have to die now? Curse you, swordsman! Curse you for stealing the woman I loved from me! If you weren't here, she would have been able to realize her true fate, and married me on the spot. Because of you, I lost everything!"

"You're just a sore loser, you never had anything to begin with. I never did love you, all you were was an annoyance. You couldn't accept that I wasn't the girl you thought I was, even though I told you many times of my origins. It's your own fault that you died this miserable creature," Sierra replied.

He asked, "Could you, do something for me? One last request for the man who loved you?" Pleading eyes locked onto Sierra, the Demon really wanted this one thing badly. She stepped forward. There was no timidity in Sierra's walk, Kogatana was of no harm to anyone in this condition.

Her eyes locked on him, but a stern look was in her face. "What do you want? I don't have time for your games, I've got to get going towards our next destination. So tell me or let me go."  


"Kill me, sweet one," he whispered, "I'm in pain, relieve me of it. If you wish to know, the command center isn't even in here. It's in the middle of the Circle Island, north of Baskar. That's where you'll find Lady Shihaisha and Lord Kaibutsu. Go there, to finish your quest, just please put me out of my misery. I hope you know, that I did love you, always have and always will, Sierra dear."  


Sierra found that she couldn't refuse, no matter how much she hated him for doing all of that to her. She aimed the Arc Smash at the Demon's head, and fired. A smile crossed Kogatana's face as the bullet hit, his breathing stopped, and he was peaceful. But no energy left his body for Shihaisha's.

"I think I know why. When he helped us, he betrayed the Lady. That severed his connection to the Demon Queen. She'll never know he died, thinking he'll come back in the end to help her. Now we've got to go to this island that Kogatana told us about in his last moments," stated Lyle.

Sierra thought about it for a moment. Lyle's explanation did make sense. And the circular island, she knew it was the sight of the meteor crash of a hundred years ago. Could that have been the vessel that the demons had come here on. One thing's for sure, they had their work cut out for them now.

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

This guy is starting to remind me now of Boomerang, Zed, that pirate I created for a scrapped OLS fic, and Harry Champ. Now there's a headache of a crossover. More than Princess Mononoke/Wild ARMs? Or Inu Yasha/Wild ARMs? I can't do the second, imbalance in characters. Not enough villains in Wild ARMs, and a hard to find lineup in Inu Yasha. Where am I going to get a character to resemble Shippo, the only cute little boy is Shane but even he isn't that young? And who could Clive be? Ginny and Jet are clear cut, as is Gallows (anyone who watches Inu Yasha would probably get this one).


	31. Last Dungeon

****

Last Dungeon

They flew Lombardia to the circular island. In order to get towards the middle, where the ship was, they had to use the Ocarina to call Lucrecia. Then, they walked across the lake, until arriving at a meteor sized vessel. It certainly could be mistaken for one as well, since that's what the body had been built to resemble. But if you looked closely, you would definitely see that it was a man made structure.

Inside, the team found many scientific devices. Kyoku began to sniff around in one of the labs, where Demons were growing in suspension tubes. Sasha deduced that only a few had been able to live through the crash without damage, and they'd been trying to resuscitate the others ever since. And they had moved Shihaisha to the other lab in order to give her a little privacy while she regenerated.

Further on down, they ran into the Lord Kaibutsu. He was training with his sword, a wicked smile on his face. The second he saw the four, he re-sheathed it, and walked up to them. "So, the foolish Silver Wolves have arrived. I guess my minions weren't as competent as I thought they were. No matter, then it will be I who kills you, I will never allow a foolish human to defeat me. Bring up your weapons, you can't win. Then, your bodies will be sacrificed to the Lady Shihaisha, to increase her powers tenfold."  


"Never!" screamed Sierra, "We won't lose so easily to a monster like you. Humanity can do what it takes to get the job done, even if it means wrestling with a superior being. Just bring it on, you Demon scum!" She grabbed Arc Smash, and fired. It hit Kaibutsu in his chest, damaging him greatly. Suddenly, she felt a little queasy, as if she was about to throw up. Sierra knew at once it was what Dan Darium had told her about, the crazed attacking of a Holmcross caught up in the thick of combat. She was now a danger to her friends if she stayed here, she had to go right away before the madness took hold of her. Else she would more likely than not end up killing everyone in this room but herself.

"Sierra!" yelled Lyle, seeing her distress. For Kaibutsu was taking advantage of her vulnerability in order to kill her on the spot. He jumped in front of her, and the attack slashed him across his torso. Lyle went down like a stone, and landed on the floor. His breathing was slow, his pulse was weak.

Sierra was mortified. Her anger had begun to flare out, as the madness took hold. She charged up her ARM once more for another try. This time, the attack was much stronger, fueled by her anger and hate, and managed to kill their enemy in the process. Then, she turned her eyes to her allies, with a renewed sense of battle. If things had continued like that, she most likely would have harmed them all.

But it didn't come to that. For the second she saw Lyle lying there on the floor, blood flowing from the gash on his chest, her rage calmed. Instead, she found herself walking over to him in order to help. The young gunner pulled off Lyle's shirt, and began to apply a Heal Berry to his wounds. Sierra smiled at him, she was happy to help the man she loved. Finally, the girl was free of her ancient curse.

She whispered, "Please, don't leave me Lyle. I love you, you mean more to me than life itself. I just want to end this battle, so we can go and make a life for ourselves, together forever." Her voice seemed to bring about the right effect, for the swordsman woke up almost instantly after she spoke.

He smiled at her. "I'm ok, just a little tired. But the way you used your energy like that, to fight with all the power you possessed in order to save me, it's just like the old legend. The swordsman used his powers to protect those he loved, the same powers I use today. That inspired another attack."

* * *

They continued onwards. Through practice, Lyle mastered the Fast Draw called Trump Card. This attack worked better if Lyle's Vitality was near full, than if he was running on empty. Of course, that meant that he would have to use it as a starter, for monsters immune to his splitting of the HP in half. Which did happen on several occasions, and probably Lady Shihaisha as well.

Soon, they made it to another chamber. There, the Lady was sitting in a chair, completely clothed. She looked like she'd only woken up within the last hour, probably not too long after they made it to the ship to kill her. That made their job easier, now they could actually harm her. The only problem would be the one of defending themselves from her attacks, if they were all like the one she showed the last time.

"So," she began, "Finally you have all arrived. I've been waiting ever since you killed Kaibutsu. His energy proved to be the last I needed to revive. Too bad you didn't kill Kogatana first, I only needed three Demon sacrifices to rise again. And Kaibutsu was a much better fighter, much more useful to my ideals. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything you want." She got up out of her seat, knocking over her drink, and headed for the team. They all readied weapons, waiting for her first attack.

"You're a monster. Stealing the life out of your own allies. I'm sure you could have waited another few hundred years, and still kept those who were loyal to you," Jacob stated.

Shihaisha replied, "My, my, I think we're repeating ourselves. We had the same conversation at the other lab. How soon you humans forget such matters. It doesn't concern me how many I have, we Demons are immortal and don't have to worry about old age. That gives us time to breed, making new Demons to add to our depleted forces. I am all we need in order to win. For now I have the power of Kobushi, Kaibutsu, and Kachikina within my bosom, you are facing four Demons in one battle. And once that worthless whelp Kogatana arrives, you will have another of our kind to deal with. Can you handle all of that?"

Sierra aimed Arc Smash at her. "Kogatana is dead, he distanced himself from you and your plans before he died. So you lost your warrior, without taking his powers from him. Your plan has failed. Now, even if you have four Demon souls inside of you, there is no one to help you. And we have four as well, four who can attack as one, but without having to be stuck in one body. Strategy always beats strength."

"What foolish sentiment," Shihaisha said, "It may be something you humans believe in, and tend to embrace, but it's totally useless. Now, you will die, those that embrace such trivial passions. Die, and a new future will arise for the Demonkind." She began to laugh, and charge up an attack.

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…  
  
Final battle next time. I really enjoy these "RPG Setting" stories. Maybe I should make that IAQ on my site.


	32. Final Battle

****

Final Battle

Lady Shihaisha finished casting the Darkness spell, and hit the four Silver Wolves. Sierra found that she had been thrown back against a wall, right into Lyle's arms. She blushed, but quickly recovered. The young gunner got up, and aimed Arc Smash at her foe. Then, she fired the deadly weapon.

But even a blast of that magnitude failed to stop the wicked Demoness. She just began to cast a second spell, hoping to take down the whole team while she was at it. This time, it was Sasha to save the day. Using her Hi-Protect, the whole group had their resistance to magic increased by a magical barrier. Now, they wouldn't be hit with the same power, although it would still hurt pretty badly. The only other thing that could soften the blows would be to defend, but then they couldn't strike back in order to kill her.

"Lyle!" exclaimed Sierra, "We've got to think of something, else we're going to be dead soon. How about we use our Level 3 Force Skills? Mine is really powerful, it'll throw all of my strength into an all out strike against our enemy. What can yours do?" She pulled out her Rail Gun, not wanting to waste the bullets in Arc Smash. For the Full Clip would take every bullet in her ARM, and shot them all at once. If that wasn't enough to kill the Demoness, there was going to be some real trouble on their hands.

"My attack is powerful too. It affects my speed, making me strike out against the enemy with all possible quickness. Kind of like a Fast Draw, but the power is much stronger than most of the normal ones I can use. Only the instant death and set damage skills can hit for more power, and they don't work all of the time," replied Lyle. He was talking about the Sonic Vision, a skill that increased his speed, as well as the power in one of his simple sword swings. If it weren't for the drain on his FP, he'd use it all the time when fighting any type of enemy. Mostly, it was for the weak ones in the field, since FP restored after one battle, and those died in one or two hits. For big battles, he saved his power.

Sasha was still recovering from Extension, and Jacob's Rotate wouldn't be able to be of much use. So the two were forced to stick to using Saint and Super Nova. As they cast that, the other two were using their Force skills. All three bullets in the Rail Gun were shot at Shihaisha, hitting her. Then Lyle's sword dug into her flesh. But even that wasn't enough to defeat the wicked Demoness, she still stood there right in front of them, with a wicked gleam in her eyes. The humans were weakened, she would win.

She said, "You fools. Did you really think you could win against the Queen of Demons? You were all foolish to come here, when you could have lived as my loyal slaves. But I guess it was a good thing, you killing my minions gave me the strength to revive. Now then, stand still and die." With that, she began to use the spell she had hit them with at the other lab, the one Domanick had interrupted.

Sierra looked at the spell, and froze. 'What can I do? This battle is just too much for me and the others. How can we defeat someone with this kind of power? Even our best attacks barely made a dent in her. Brother, how did you manage to defeat your enemy, how could you conquer those who opposed you and those who were with you? I need your help, else I am going to die when she casts this next spell.'

*Listen to your heart,* a voice said to her, *Only the power in your soul can defeat this evil, each of you have a hidden strength that you haven't been able to access it until now. Free the spirit within, and let the power strike down your foe.* From the looks on everyone's face, they'd heard it too.

Sierra felt a power rise inside of her. The Fury Shot unlocked, allowing her to hit an opponent at four times the normal strength, with an automatic Lock On. Lyle had learned Duel Attack, which gave him the skill to use two Fast Draws at once. Jacob found the Hi-Summon, giving him the ability to strengthen a Guardian he had equipped when it was Summoned, most notably adding power to the strike. And Sasha was now able to use Duel Cast, and hit a foe with two spells simultaneously. This added power was the only salvation they had now, all they needed was the FP to use them, as each cost a full gage.

Luckily, they'd gotten some Full Carrots from Mariel before heading to the dungeon. Each ate one, and felt refreshed. Then, they began to charge up their best attacks, in order to counter the mysterious spell that Shihaisha was using. Not that the Demon Queen noticed, she was still charging herself.

"You all are strong willed and brave, if you continue to resist until the end. Such a powerful spirit inside of such a weak body. Your race would do better if they'd accepted the nanomachines in the ancient days, then they would be the all powerful creatures we Demons are," stated the Queen.

Sierra replied, "You're wrong. Humans are able to create a future for themselves by flying on their own wings. I might be sounding idealistic, but I am fighting for those who I care about, not my own selfish desires. That alone adds power to my swing, and kills all who oppose me in combat."

With that, she released her Fury Shot. Lyle cast two Trump Cards, as his HP was refilled before they had begun this. After switching Nua Shaxx for Iona Paua, Jacob used the Hi-Summon to add more power to the light attack. And Sasha was using two Saints, to maximize her elemental weakness.

Shihaisha screamed in pain and agony. All of the power was beginning to flow through her, bringing a great amount of pain to the Demon Queen. It was building up inside, reaching critical mass. Sierra used her hand signal for "clear out" to call a retreat before it happened. They locked themselves in the next room, and covered their ears just incase the sound became too much for them to bear.

The Demoness's eyes were filled with hatred, turning from gold to blood red. "You humans will pay for this, I'll have my revenge someday, even if I have to come back from the dead to do so!" Then, the power of the attacks became too much for her, and she exploded. Her whole fancy bedroom was taken along with her. Finally, peace had returned to the world once more, Filgaia was safe.

The four Silver Wolves took a look inside. Once satisfied that their adversary was dead, they left the chamber. Then, the team used the Exodus Orb, and returned to the outside world, where Lombardia was waiting to take them back to the homes where they belonged.

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…  


Who was the voice, you ask? Well it was the Guardian of Power, who will be a part of my new story "The Gemini". It'll be up soon, so check it out. The stars are the twin children of Jet and Virginia, when they're older. Along with Cecille, as I said before, and Leon Vanderbuilt. All my other OCs will be present as well.


	33. Changes

****

Changes

A year has passed since these events took place. The scars left by the Demons were small this time, as no accidents with Guardian Blades were reported. Monster attacks were down, but that didn't stop the Silver Wolves. This group of brave men and women were still out to kill any of those creatures that had the gall to get in their way. As well as hunting old ruins in order to find their fortune.

Each of the people who the four of us met had found a new life for themselves. They had been able to find a new outlook on life from their endeavors, and had grown stronger. It was a new world that they could embrace, without fear of the deaths that had awaited them just twelve months ago.

Domanick is still traveling around the world as a Silver Wolf. He had never given up his edge, not after all these years. But if he ever runs into me in a town, he wasn't about to just ignore my presence and just run away, as he had for all those years before the incident. It wasn't uncommon for him to treat his foster daughter to a dinner, or some sort of entertainment, in whatever town they were at. But wherever he goes, Maverick is always at his side, as Kyoku is at mine.

Madeline is still working as a maid, but she feels a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. If her son could conquer such a powerful enemy as the Demon Queen, then she had no fears for his safety. Her sickness has begun to ease, and she could take on longer hours to boot. Which took a burden off of her son, since he didn't have to worry so much about getting a certain amount of Gella.

Marco is a great High Priest to the Baskars. His judgment was often sought by people from other cities as well. The young man makes daily trips to the Fallen Sanctuary, in order to give thanks to the four High Guardians for taking care of his twin. And if you give thanks to those four, it's like giving thanks to all of the Guardians. Baskar then became much more prosperous than it had been before. But through all of his fame, he never forgets who he was, and still treated all with humane kindness. Jacob's newly acquired confidence was a source of much happiness for him, the only person who ever believed in him.

Martin is a fair and just ruler, like always. He spends much time trying to prepare Sasha for her future Queenhood. The stories about their ancient ancestors is a favorite example of his. Things are looking up for his kingdom as well, it became known that the princess who'd helped save the world was indeed a Shaman. Fears were absolved instantly, as they all decided to listen to the story of what really happened on that day. The name of Shaman was cleared, and they were all free once more.

Selene and Robert are both still traveling together. Neither of them wanted to be apart, and the rumors are starting to fly. Most were spread by the fact that Robert protected her like a knight does to a princess. A second rumor has started as well, among the Shaman community, that Robert was in fact a descendant of one of the younger children of Ashley and Cecille Enduro, who had forsaken his heritage because he wanted to use an ARM instead of a staff. None of these were ever confirmed, but it certainly reminded those who knew the stories about how Jet, and later Ashley, protected the woman he loved.

Mariel continues her work in her garden, never tiring. She hopes to rejuvenate the few remaining deserts on Filgaia. Then, maybe the Elw will come back here, or at least return to take her home to the dimension they inhabited. Certainly, she longs to see her older brother Vassim once more. I feel sorry for her, being forced to be away from her family and friends for over three millennia now.

Lucrecia the Golem sees use sometimes, if Lyle wanted to cross a large area of land without finding a monster or two. Dr. Moro will give her a tune up if ever she needs, longing to hear Lyle's tales of life on the road with a Golem in toe. The swordsman avoids the man as much as he could, some of those stories were just a little too private for him to share with anyone else. I should know, I live them too. And Moro can be so boring when he wants to be, he just doesn't realize he's doing just that.

Lombardia has taken such a liking to the group, that she decided to come whenever one of us needed help in any way. A special whistle had been fastened for each to wear around his or her neck, in order to rouse her from sleep. We try not to abuse the privilege, but the Dragon doesn't mind. She had felt the same way about Virginia and her crew, they certainly were interesting enough.

Sasha decided she'd seen enough of the world, and was ready to head home. Jacob returned with her, she'd never have left him behind. Both are planning marriage, but weren't quite sure when it would be. Though her father is starting to get on her nerves, with all of his trying to make her a better queen. She has considered the option of run away if it became too much to bear, and Jacob was willing to come along.

* * *

Sierra closed the page of her diary, and looked at the rain outside her room at the Vensnia Saloon. She and Lyle were still together, traveling around the world. Their goals hadn't clashed one little bit, so it only made sense for the two lovers to continue to travel with one another.

"Hard to believe a year has passed," commented Lyle, "It seems like just yesterday I was alone in a saloon, listening to the happy people in the common room beneath my room."

"Yes, I well remember the days I lived here, before my origins became a question. I wonder what would have happened if that earthquake three years ago hadn't led to the finding of a Duplicator. Would I ever have left the saloon, and met all of you?" asked Sierra.

Lyle told her, "You probably wouldn't have left home, always thinking that you knew everything about your past. We wouldn't have met then, for if I didn't get a partner, then I wouldn't have met Sasha and Jacob. Even if I did find a partner, and met the other two, would we have spent a night here? We never slept here only because you didn't want to go back. And I think that Equitess wouldn't have appeared before us, forcing us to look harder in order to find the Guardian of Swords."

Sierra smiled. "I'm happy I met you all. If I hadn't, I would have been alone forever. But now, I've not only found friends who can help me through the tough times, but a man who I love with all my heart." She leaned in closer, and gave him a kiss on the lips. Lyle returned the favor instantly.

'Alone, she was never alone,' thought Kyoku, 'She always had me with her. Oh well, at least she's back to the way she was before she knew that her real father hadn't abandoned her at the saloon, the Sierra I grew up with ever since I was just a baby Wind Mouse.'

- - - -

****

Teefa's Last Words…

I just thought Sierra having a diary would be a nice way to describe the other character's fates. For if I wanted to devote dialogue to each of them, I'd have about five chapters about nothing. Well, time to thank all those who contributed to this. First, to Media Vision for the Wild ARMs series. Then, the variety sites that got me into the game in the first place. Ok, now to the makers of every anime and game I ripped some stupid gag off of (can't name them all). And to whatever sites or friends got me into that one in the first place.


End file.
